The Fairfield University women's basketball team is back on the road on Friday afternoon to take on Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foe Loyola University Maryland in a 4:30 p.m. game to be televised live on ESPNU. The game is a part of the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight (JBS) and features two squads that are both 3-1 in league play and tied for third place.

Doug Sherman and Kayte Christensen will call all the action, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Fans can also listen to the call of John Cummings, both over the air at WVOF 88.5 FM, and via the internet. Fans can also visit Loyola's athletic website for other viewing options.

The JBS is an effort of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) to promote the values of Jesuit higher education through the more than 90 men's and women's basketball games played between the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the US. The Stags are 1-0 this season in JBS games.

Fairfield enters the game at 10-4 overall, having seen its six-game win streak snapped Monday night at Siena, 54-46. Fairfield ranks among the nation's elite in scoring defense, allowing opponents to average just 47.8 points per game, 0.2 points behind national leader West Virginia University.

Brittany MacFarlane had her first career double-double on Monday night, scoring 10 points and hauling in a career-best 13 rebounds. The sophomore has started the Stags last six games and three times surpassed her career-high in rebounds from last season. As a starter she is averaging 7.5 boards a game and raised her season average to 4.9 a game, which is third on the roster. MacFarlane has also gotten others involved during her starting assignments, handing out eight assists in the last six games, after recording five assists in the first eight games of the season. She enters play today averaging 3.8 points per game and shooting 38.2 percent from the field.

Fairfield and Loyola are meeting for the 49th time in women's basketball with the Stags holding a 33-15 series lead. Joe Frager has led the Stags to seven victories over the Greyhounds and Fairfield currently holds a nine-game series winning streak. Fairfield has won 17 of the last 20 meetings and has not lost back-to-back games in the series since losing three straight from March 5, 1995 through February 6, 1996. The Stags have won six consecutive games at Reitz Arena, including a 63-58 victory last season. The last Loyola victory came February 25, 2006, 78-72, at Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard.

Loyola had a three-game winning streak snapped on Monday and enters today's game at 6-9 overall and 3-1 in league play. The Greyhounds are 3-4 in home games this season and are 1-1 at Reitz Arena against MAAC foes. Three Greyhounds are averaging in double figures, led by the 13.2 points per game of Miriam McKenzie, who also leads the team at 6.3 rebounds a contest. Erica DiClemente is scoring 12.2 points a game and has knocked down a team-best 38 three point field goals this season. Katie Sheahin has handed out a team-best 74 assists, while also recording 58 steals and averaging 10.8 points per game. Loyola is -4.7 in scoring on the year and is -7.4 in rebounding margin, but is +0.8 in turnover margin. The Greyhounds shoot 36.4 percent from the field, 31.6 behind the arc, while opponents connect 39.2 percent of the time from the field and just 30.5 percent from behind the arc.

The Stags are playing their fourth MAAC road game in the fifth conference game of the season and are now 2-1 in those games. Overall on the road, the Stags are 4-3 and our outscoring opponents 54.0-49.6. The Stags are shooting 37.1 percent from the field as a team in its seven road games, with Joelle Nawrocki hitting 44.7 percent (21-47) of her field goal attempts. Katelyn Linney is the only player in double figures on the road, averaging 11.6 points per game, while Taryn Johnson scored 9.3 points and pulls down 8.4 rebounds a contest. Nawrocki has a team-best 23 assists on the road and a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio in the seven games.