Fairfield 500

The Fairfield University women's basketball team has always been noted as a successful MAAC basketball program. In 1980, Coach Diane Nolan and Fairfield began their Division I road and have experienced many ups and downs throughout the collegiate journey. The head coach led the squad to their first win of their new division against Hartford in the second game of the 1980 season and held the reigns for the next 26 years. During that stretch they were crowned champions on the MAAC Conference four times and have been on the national stage reaching the Big Dance twice. The exciting players and memorable coaches that have passed through the hallow walls of Alumni Hall have helped designing the venue with exhilarated fans and banners that hang from the roof. And after 30 years as a Division I program, the Stags have 500 wins to show for it.

 

The third win they recorded in their D I inaugural campaign was against St. Francis of New York. 496 wins later, they recorded number 500 versus the same Terriers. "[It's] really exciting. It's fun to be a part of that win," current head coach Joe Frager said. "This place has a rich history in basketball. Coach Nolan did a tremendous job when she was here. To try and continue that legacy and get this program going, it's exciting," he said.

 

214 people were in attendance to witness the historic win and the Stags 'race' to a win with a 64-50 decision. The afternoon was also an historic day for a player as Desiree Pina enjoyed a career best 24 points. Although the season is only 9 games old, it must have felt like '500 days of summer," for the junior guard. The Pre-season All-MAAC team selection entered the game shooting 20 percent from the floor and 2-22 from behind the arc. However, she has not concentrated on her recent struggles, "I don't really look at my points records, I just look at how we're going to win. If we win I can build on that anytime," Pina said.

 

Arguably, Pina is the most important player for the squad and they hope her performance is something the can build on. "It was only a matter of time before she had a game like this. She's a very competitive person and when you don't play the way you'd like to really competitive people tend to beat themselves up mentally," Frager said.

 

Fairfield now owns a two game winning streak and have "matured" according to Frager. "We've been talking to them about the importance of communicating both offensively and defensively. We're our best when we're talking on both ends of the floor and we're starting to see some of that," he said. Fairfield has now improved to 6-3 on the year but their record is not the most important aspect that they notice. Pina had one word for what she likes best of what she saw in the team, "togetherness."

 

With conference play approaching, the team is coming together at the right time. The Stags will go for win 501 on December 22^nd against Albany.