Box Score LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – Just a few days ago, Fairfield called a team meeting to just clear the air. In the two hours inside that room, both players and coaches voiced their perceptions of the season so far.
“What it all boiled down to was I think everyone was pressing,” Head Coach Joe Frager said. “The players want to win, the coaching staff wants to win, and I think we had to remind ourselves that we are all in this thing together.”
Message received. The Stags answered the call with their most balanced effort of the year as eight different players scored in a 55-39 win at Rider.
“I'm extremely happy,” Frager said. “We were ready for a tough one today and I think the kids did a much better job at paying attention to the scouting report and trying to take away some of their strengths. I think once we got a lead, we did a much better job at maintaining our focus and not letting them back in.”
Right from the start, the Stags (7-9, 2-5 MAAC) stepped up to answer the challenge. In the first quarter, it was the offense. Every starter scored during a first quarter that featured the Stags tally nine points in the first five minutes (they only tallied eight during the entire opening period against Saint Peter's). Fairfield started their offense with Samantha Cooper 34 seconds into the game and finished at the buzzer on a Lizzy Ball layup to end the quarter.
The Stags continued what would become a 13-0 run into the second quarter capped by a Ball 3-pointer that gave the Stags their largest lead at 20-5.
In the second quarter it was time for the defense. The Stags actually held the Broncs to just one field goal in the second quarter, as the Broncs (3-13, 0-7 MAAC) scored six of their eight points from the free throw line. The defensive stand featured a span of Fairfield not allowing a Rider field goal for over 12 minutes spanning from the 5:16 mark in the first quarter to the 3:34 mark in the second.
An unheralded part of that defensive stand was the play of Kelsey Carey who tallied seven first half rebounds. Carey came into the game with a career-high of nine boards.
That combination helped the Stags to a 26-13 lead at the half.
How good was that Fairfield defense? At the 4:58 mark of the third quarter, the Stags held Rider to just four total field goals and the Broncs were shooting a combined 12.1 percent (4-for-33).
The Stags started the third quarter on a 13-3 run which basically put the game out of reach with the Stags achieving a 22-point lead (38-16) at the 4:44 mark.
Ball set her new personal best with her 10th point to open up the fourth quarter and Rider would not get closer than 14-points the rest of the way.
“I'm thrilled for Lizzy,” Frager said. “When she can play like that, teams have to guard us a little differently and it opened some things for us. I thought she played really well.”
Eight different players scored for the Stags with Kristin Schatzlein leading the way with 13 points and a game-high four assists. Ball chipped in a personal-best 13 points and Casey Smith also tallied double figures with 11 points.
Carey tied her career-high with nine rebounds as the Stags out-rebounded 41-37 and are now 5-1 when they out-rebound the opposition.
Robin Perkins scored 10 of the first 19 points for Rider and finished with a game-high 14 points.
The Stags will now have a quick turnaround when they complete their current road swing at Manhattan on Saturday at 2pm.
