Loyola 54 Fairfield 52

The Fairfield University women's basketball team (10-5, 3-2 MAAC) was edged by the Loyola Greyhounds (7-9, 4-1 MAAC). Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-The shooting of the Stags continue to struggle as they went only 4-15 from behind the arc and could not hit a lay up throughout the game, but especially during crunch time as they missed many close baskets today.

-Taryn Johnson had a game high 19 points but only had 5 rebounds. Once again Brittany MacFarlane picked up the slack pulling down 12 boards (the only one in the game to have double digit rebounds)

-Fairfield did do a good job at staying in the game as they did not lead at any point from 17 minutes on and trailed as much as 9 points. They missed 2 layups that would have tied the game and also could no get a rebound.

Ugly loss to say the least. The defense of the Stags really struggled as the Greyhounds seemed to be able to score at will. Maybe it was because of their size as we were all ready for their lack of size to finally bite them at the end of the game. They were giving up easy layups and really gave up multiple runs that I have not seen this year. Plenty of time their defense tried to make them lose this game.

The shooting really needs to get better. They only shot 4-10 from the free throw line which is not going to get it done in the Division 1 level. Johnson who seemed to have turned the corner from the charity stripe only went 1-4 and seems to have taken a step back once again. Inside players such as Vetra and MacFarlane went a combined 3-17 from the floor while Linney went 2-6 from three.

I have heard that ESPN U made us look real bad during the telecast. We deserved it to be honest. You have to be able to hit a lay up and free throws at this level.

Player of the Game: Taryn Johnson for her 19 points and 9-18 from the floor. Even though she did miss some layups which should have given her more points.

Up Next: The Stags return home to play Manhattan on 1/16 starting at 1:00.

Siena 54 Fairfield 46

The Fairfield University women's basketball team (10-4, 3-1 MAAC) ended their six game winning streak losing to the Siena Saints (6,8 4-0 MAAC) on the road. Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
-The Stag's six game winning streak came to an end, while the Saints improved theirs to five straight.

-The Stags did not got many breaks in this game and Joe Frager said they had "two to three mental lapses" on defense in the first half and the team has not played in a game like this. He admitted that the squad made some silly mistake and were "panicky"

-Brittany MacFarlane was the lone standout and she recorded a double-double including a career high 13 rebounds.

-Desiree Pina shot 2-11 from the floor and 0-3 from behind the arc. Katelyn Linney was 4-16 and 3-14 from three while Joelle Nawrocki was 1-4 from long distance. The team total was 6-29 from three.

I agree with Frager, this was really one of the first times that the team played in a game that was not a blow out. They had to learn how to control the ball in a way that they were able to get an open shot. The team did not take advantage of their offense as it seemed everybody had an off day. The game would have been out of control if MacFarlane did not step up when Taryn Johnson was on the bench with foul trouble. Siena does deserve credit as they kept their composure and actually made their free throws.

Player of the Game: Brittany MacFarlane really showed something today.

Up Next: The Stags travel to Loyola on 1/14 at 4:30.

Historic Night For Linney

Katelyn Linney scored a game high 27 points against Niagara helping the Stags to their fifth straight win. In the process she reached the 500 points mark and became just the seventh member of the Fairfield basketball program to reach 100 made threes.

Katelyn Linney has connected 35 times from behind the arc this season and now has 102 career makes from downtown. There are only seven players in Fairfield history that have connected 100 or more times from behind the arc, led by the 209 makes of Holli Tapley (1997-2001).

Katelyn Linney is 24th in the country in three-point field goal percentage and is 39th nationally in three pointers made per game.

For the season she is shooting .467 from behind the arc (35-75) and .450 from the floor. The rest of the team combined have 25, Joelle Nawrocki is second on the team with 11.

Fairfield 68 Niagara 38

The Fairfield University women's basketball team (9-3, 2-0 MAAC) won their fifth straight decision as they defeated the Niagara Purple Eagles (1-12, 0-2 MAAC). Click for a complete recap and boxscore.

The Least You Should Know:
- Katelyn Linney had 27 points as she went 5-7 from behind the arc and 10-14 from the floor.

- The team used three runs to take control of the game. The squad had seperate runs of 19-0, 13-0, and finally 14-0 to conclude the game.

- They entered the game third in the nation in scorind defense and their average will decrease after the game.

- They have swept the Western New York portion of their schedule for the second consecutive year.

It was a good effort for the Stags but this could have been the only opponent in the world they could have beaten by 30 points while only shooting 41 percent in the first half and having 6 shots blocked. This stat is gradually improving as their offense is finally waking up. The one concern you have is Pina was only .333 from the floor. When she gets going the offense should be pretty good. Hopefully this is not a down year for the junior.
Player of the Game: Katelyn Linney who had 27 points and only missed 4 shots.

Up Next:
The Stags will return home to face the Gaels of Iona College on 1/8 starting at 1 PM at Alumni Hall.

Stags go for 500

In the midst of its 30th varsity season and is on the doorstep of its 500th all-time victory. Team’s varsity record is at 499-364, a .578 winning percentage. Fairfield entered the year averaging over 17 wins per season at the varsity level and have won 65 games in just over three seasons under Joe Frager, going 65-39 under his tutelage.

They should get it against a St.Francis team who has only 1 win on the year and has lost to Manhattan by over 20 points at home. The Terriers have 60 assists to go along with 168 turnovers and have been outscored by an average of 18 points per game!

Other Milestones Coming Up:
Joelle Nawrocki needs 4 FGM for 100
Katelyn Linney needs 4 RBS for 100

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.’

Women's Basketball vs Villanova

Comparing the two:
The Stags outrebound the Wildcats by nearly 8.5 boards a game. Villanova is actually being outrebounded for they year. While the Stags maintain a +2.8.

With the help of Katelyn Linney, Fairfield is shooting .435% behind the arc with the sophomore guard is shooting .576% which is 5th in the nation.

The only categories that Villanova has an edge on is assists and turnovers. Nova averages two more assists than Fairfield while committing less turnovers. Desiree Pina enters the game 22nd in the nation in assist to turnover ratio.

The Series:

Fairfield has never beaten Villanova and they are 0-10. In a series dating back to 1996.

Linney is Heating Up

The Fairfield University women’s basketball team improved their record to a perfect 2-0 after cruising past the George Mason Pioneers 54-37. The 489 fans who swarmed Alumni Hall witnessed a performance that became a sight to see. Stags sophomore guard Katelyn Linney scored a career high 30 points and tied the school single game record with 7 three pointers. The crowd grew louder as each straight shot caressed the bottom of the net. It was the first time a women’s basketball player tallied more than 30 points in a game since Stephanie Geehan recorded 33 against the same Pioneers. “She had a phenomenal, phenomenal game,” fourth year head coach Joe Frager said. “I was impressed the most by her defense,” Frager continued.

The New Jersey native is returning from an impressive rookie campaign where she enjoyed one of the best seasons by a Stags freshmen. She won six MAAC Rookie of the Week Awards averaging 10.2 points per game and swishing 67 three pointers, the third most in a single season in Fairfield history. “I feel more comfortable this year,” Linney said after the win, “the freshmen nerves are gone and I’ve grown a year.” Frager said that she played a “complete game.”

If the Stag want to prove their preseason ranking to finish fourth wrong, they are going to have to look for Linney and the rest of the Stags to play “complete games.” “We need to execute on offense,” Frager said. The head coach admits that the team is still looking for their biggest strength but is impressed by their inside play. “They have risen to the occasion,” he said. With the graduation of two presences in the paint with Tara Flaherty and Stephanie Geehan, who are both playing professionally oversee, the size of the team was a question mark when the season tipped off. “Sometimes it will be post players by committee,” Frager said. So far the Stags have “rise to the occasion,” as they have outrebounded their opponents by 13.

Although it is only the second game of the season, the victory against George Mason can be something that the team can build on. “It was a great win for us and for the conference,” Linney said. During her career game she only missed 3 shots the entire night. She went 10-12 from the floor including a astonishing 7-8 from three. It was the first time that the Stags have beaten the Patriots since 1996. Linney’s historic night could be compared to the last time a Fairfield team took on George Mason. Last year it was Mike Evanovich who drained a school record for three pointers in a game during the men’s magical comeback.

The women’s team will try to continue what they hope could turn into a magical season as they finish up their four game home stand this week. The Stags will take on Cornell and the University of Rhode Island at Alumni Hall. Last year, Fairfield started the campaign 3-0. Katelyn Linney will try to keep up her hot shooting but all she is trying to do is “looking to go out there and win.”

Fairfield 54 George Mason 37

The Fairfield Stags women's basketball team (2-0) cruised past the George Mason Pioneers (1-1) last night. The Stags have won two straight and including last year have won 11 of their last 12.

The Least You Should Know:
- Katelyn Linney scored a career high 30 points including tying the school's single game record with 7 threes. The 30 points is sixth all-time on the single game list. She went 7-8 from three and did not miss a shot the entire second half.

- The Stags outrebounded their opponent for the second straight game.

-Frager said he was very impressed with their defense

Linney had an absolutely amazing game. Throughout the whole game she only missed three shots. Granted she won't be like this every game but the Stags are desperately going to need her shooting in order to compete this season.

The Game Ball Goes to: Katelyn Linney, one of the best games. Her last three came at the top of the key when she was falling down, shades of Mike Evanovich.

Up Next: The Stags host the Cornell Big Red at Alumni Hall Friday at 7:00.

Women's Basketball Picked to Finish 4th

The Fairfield university Women's Basketball team was picked to finish 4th in the MAAC Conference yesterday during media day. For the full story click here.

Fairfield is behind schools such as Loyola, Iona, and Marist. The Red Foxes are picked to finish 1st in the Conference for the 6th straight year. The Stags are in a 4th place tie with Manhattan College. Last year the Stags were picked 6th in the MAAC but ended up going all the way to the MAAC championship game. Coach Joe Frager said that the team expected to get around a 4th place ranking but the coach does not put much emphasis on pre-season predictions.

The biggest problem for the Stags will be the graduation of Stephanie Geehan she was a one woman wrecking crew. She was almost the entire team last year the Stags would not have been close to where they finished last year without the tremendous season that she had. Who will be that one Stag to fill the immortal shoes of Stephanie Geehan? Well three players were named to all MAAC teams

Desiree Pina was named to the all MAAC second team. She was the Stags leading returner scorer and for the first time in her career she will be looked to be the star of the team. She has great ball handling ability and can drive the lane like no one I've seen before however she will not be having the same supporting cast as years before. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to being the captain of this young team.

Taryn Johnson was picked to be on the all MAAC third team. The name of her game is athleticism. She can jump higher than anyone on the team and was a big part of their playoff run.The Stags started to heat up when Taryn Johnson started to heat up. She's going to be asked to be the Stags go to rebounder.

Katelyn Linney was also named to the all MAAC third team. The Sophomore had a breakout freshman year and could easily have won the MAAC rookie of the year combined with Pina and Vasquez she will be an even more deadly three point threat.

I really like the team this year. They have three good players but no one great. Unlike the years in the past where they had a go-to scorer it seems like they'll be fighting for a lot of points. But never underestimate the coaching of Joe Frager he is smart and he knows the game it should be a fun year.