A Tale of Two Games

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was a tale of two games for the Fairfield University women’s basketball team. Over the weekend they enjoyed their best and worst offensive and defensive displays on the season, but they did not win a game dropping their record to 4-3 on the season. In fact, on Thursday against Villanova they struggled to the worst scoring display in the 30 year history in the program. Out of the 1003 career games, no Fairfield team, has ever tallied as little as 29 points. They also set the lowest mark for points in a half while only recording 9 in the first half. “It was a frustrating game,” Coach Joe Frager said. The fourth year head coach was disappointed in the amount of layups they missed in the game, “if we make just one of those, you’re looking at a 31-30 win.” Only four out of the 9 Stags players scored in the contest with junior forward Taryn Johnson leading the way with 11 points. The Stags remain winless against the Wildcats in their history, falling to 0-11. However the Pavilion at Villanova University wasn’t a ‘bleak house’ entirely for the Stags. “We were tremendously defensively,” Frager said. Fairfield held Villanova to only 30 points in the game, the lowest they have held an opponent since they held Lafayette to 29 points last year. “When you hold a Big East team to 30 points that’s impressive,” Frager said. The Stags did not allow a single point in the final 5 minutes of the contest.
The women’s basketball team traveled to Hofstra on Sunday to complete their weekend set of games. Although the boxscore would be the exact opposite, the result would stay the same: a loss. Playing against a team that had the “best press we’ve seen all season” and a system that is similar to the one that Kentucky runs according to Joe Frager, the Stags defense struggled allowing a season high 89 points. That was the most points allowed in a game since 2005 when Fairfield allowed 110 points against then the number one team in the nation: the Duke Blue Devils. Statistically it was the worst defensive performance in Frager’s four year reign. “They are two completely types of teams,” Frager said.
The Sunday game was not all ‘hard times’ however for the Stags. After only reaching 29 points in the Villanova game they accumulated 73 points to help the teams ‘pride.’ The best mark in regulation since November of 2008 when the Stags defeated Wagner 81-59.
Frager said it was good to see the team put the ball in the basket but he is hoping for a “few more role players to step up.” He believes that if they can find other people to make baskets then it would make it easier for players such as Desiree Pina and Katelyn Linney to score. The team’s leading scorer Desiree Pina has struggled in the opening stages of the season. The junior amassed 12.1 points per game last season but is only averaging a half of that total this year with 6.1 including going 1-20 from behind the arc. “I’m concerned. I’m definitely concerned,” Frager said. The Preseason All-MAAC team selection is also shooting just 19 percent from the floor. Frager does believe that she can find her way out of this slump, “she’s a battler,” he said.
After a scorching start to the season, sophomore Katelyn Linney has also cooled off. She was once shooting over 50 percent from behind the arc but is only 2-12 from downtown in her last 3 games. “[They are] guarding Katelyn tougher and tougher,” Frager said.
The squad finds themselves at 4-3 in the last few games before the end of the semester break. “If you had asked me in the preseason the way we were playing if I would have taken 4-3 I probably would have said ‘Yes’” Frager said. Although he said there is no reason the squad should not be 5-2. He says the purpose of out-of-conference games are to “[try] and get better.” He continues to look for the other players to step up for the team can fulfill their ‘great expectations.’