FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Women's Basketball team will welcome the leaders of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) when in-state rival Quinnipiac Bobcats comes to the George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall on Friday night. All the action between the two Connecticut schools will be streamed on Facebook Live starting at 7pm.
The Stags will be returning home after a three-game road trip that ended with an important 68-57 victory at Rider. The win, which was the first MAAC road win for the Stags since they defeated Canisius on December 29, was fueled by seniors
Macey Hollenshead and
Samantha Cooper. In her first start of the season, Hollenshead would net a career-high 14 points and spark the game deciding rally. In the third quarter, Hollenshead scored eight-straight points which started a 14-0 Fairfield run. Her season-high in points entering that game was eight, a number she would match in a two-minute span.
Cooper picked up her 10th double-double of the season with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Her 21 points brings her to the 23rd spot on the program's all-time scoring list at 1,130, 20 points shy of Kristin Schatzlein (2012-16). In terms of rebounds, Cooper became just the sixth player in program history to amass 900 boards and currently sits at 908. She is 22 rebounds shy of moving into the top-5, currently behind Robin Massari (1991-94) who hauled in 930.
The Stags had their best all-around game as they shot over 40 percent from the floor for the first time in a conference game this season. They also attempted a season-low 13 3-pointers, instead they found success inside the arc, shooting 47 percent on their 2-point opportunities.
It's been exactly a year since the last time the Quinnipiac Bobcats have dropped a game in the conference, with their last setback coming on February 2, 2017 against the Stags in Bridgeport. Since then, the Bobcats have won 21-straight contests against league opponents, including a Sweet 16 appearance last year.
This season, the Bobcats lead the MAAC in: scoring offense (70.3), scoring defense (59.5), 3-point field goal percentage (.336), blocked shots (4.5), assists (16.7), steals (10.8), turnover margin (+6.3), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3), and 3-point field goals made (8.7).
Despite all those impressive statistics, the Bobcats do not have a player ranked in the top-10 in the league in scoring with Jen Fay ranked 12th with 12.5 points per game. Instead, the squad has 12 different players who have scored at least 50 points this season.
The Stags will have a quick turnaround as they take on Manhattan on Super Bowl Sunday at home starting at 2pm.
