FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield will finally return home after a three-game road trip, but not to the home they are used to this season. The Stags will open up play at their second home in the Webster Bank Arena when they take on Rider Thursday at 5pm. It is the first game of a Fairfield double header with the men's basketball team with both games being streamed around the country on ESPN3. It will also be a special day for the women's basketball program who will be raising funds and awareness for Alzheimer's. Head Coach Joe Frager will make a donation to the cause and will also donate $10 for every made 3-pointer that Fairfield makes on Thursday.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Fairfield is coming off their fifth win in their last six outings as they survived Saint Peter's upset bid with a 57-47 win. The victory was the 10th-straight win over the Peacocks which ties for the longest active streak for the Stags (New Hampshire). Four Stags scored in double figures with Casey Smith leading the team in points for the fifth time this season. Smith had a team-high 18 points and six rebounds. Kristine Miller tied a career-high with two blocks and four made field goals to finish with 10 points. Miller scored the last six points of the game. After falling behind 15-3, the Stags held Saint Peter's without a field goal for 11 minutes. Fairfield did not get the lead for good until the 8:42 mark with a Samantha Cooper 3-pointer. Fairfield also held their opponent to fewer than 50 points for the third time in their last four games.
FAIRFIELD AT WEBSTER BANK ARENA: The Stags will play in the first of three contests this season that will be played at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn.
The women's team started playing games in the Arena in 2001 and are a collective 47-50 inside the building, with a 47-48 mark in regular season games. Joe Frager is 14-13 in the Arena.
THE RETURN OF MILLZ: In the last three games, Kristine Miller has returned to her dominating force inside the paint. The sophomore is averaging 7.3 points per game while shooting .526 from the floor while playing a total of 52 minutes. In the seven games prior, Miller played a total of 76 minutes, took only seven shots, and averaged 1.8 points per outing.
Y'ALL COMEBACK NOW YA HEAR?: The 12-point first half deficit was the largest deficit the Stags have overcome for a win this season.
It was the largest comeback for the Stags since Feb 24, 2012 when they came back from 13 down against Loyola.
FAIRFIELD VS RIDER: The two teams will be meeting for the 40th time in school history with the Stags having a 33-6 advantage, their highest winning percentage against a team with at least 10 meetings. The Stags will be looking to sweep the regular season series against Rider for the 14th time in 18 years. Fairfield holds a 16-2 edge at home against the Broncs, including a 7-0 mark at the Webster Bank Arena. Rider has picked up three victories in their last six games against the Stags, the most during any six-game stretch in the series. Fairfield defeated Rider 59-47 on the road 11 days ago. Felicia DaCruz is averaging five assists per game in her career against the Broncs, including a season-high seven dishes on just one turnover in the first meeting this season. DaCruz is also shooting 86 percent (18-21) from the free throw line against Rider. Kristin Schatzlein had a team-high 16 points with Kelsey Carey chipping in 13.
SCOUTING THE BRONCS: Rider is a much different team than they were just 11 days ago. Since the Stags defeated Rider, the Broncs have gone 2-0 including a very impressive overtime road win against MAAC Title contender Iona. During their two game winning streak, the Broncs have averaged 73 points per game. The Broncs are a very athletic team that likes to pressure their opposition. Rider is forcing 15.3 turnovers per game and limiting opponents to 63.7 points per game, fourth in the league. Rider can also put pressure on the other team's shooters shown by their .386 field goal percentage defense and limiting opponents to a .303 clip behind the arc. Both of those numbers are in the top half of the league. The big struggle for Rider this season has been their free throw shooting. Rider is shooting .595 from the charity stripe, a number that is 11th in the MAAC and 11th lowest in the nation. The Broncs are led by their transfer in Robin Perkins, who comes in averaging 12.7 points per contest. Perkins is coming off a career-high 27 point performance in the upset win at Iona. Perkins also had a game-high 17 points against the Stags in their first meeting. Marritta Gillcrease leads the team with 33 blocks, nearly half of the number for the team. Gillcrease had a career-high seven swats in the win against Niagara.
UP NEXT: Fairfield will hit the road for their last road game in he state of New Jersey this season. The Stags tip off against Monmouth on Sunday at 2pm.
