FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Women's Basketball team will take the court on Valentine's Day as the Stags open up a two-game home stand against Marist on Wednesday at 7pm. The contest will also be a "Red Out" with the first 200 fans receiving a Fairfield Stags shirt. All the action from the George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall will be streamed on Facebook Live.
 
This will be the 13th time in program history, and the third-straight season that the Stags will play on Valentine's Day, a day where they hold an 8-4 record and have won four in-a-row. Among active players, Samantha Cooper leads the Stags averaging 6.0 points and 6.5 rebounds on Valentine's Day in her career.
 
Speaking of Cooper, she is coming off one of the best weeks of her season, averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds in Fairfield's 1-1 slate. Those numbers, which includes a career-high 29 point outing at Iona, helped the redshirt senior earn MAAC Player of the Week and Met Basketball Writers Division I Player of the Week. It is Cooper's first time being recognized by the conference office, and the third time in her career.
 
Cooper scored 43 percent of the team's points in their last game at Manhattan, leading all players with 19 points. She also recorded her 12th double-double of the season, a number that leads the MAAC and ranks 23rd nationally. Cooper's 12 double-doubles is the most by a Stag in a single season since Katie Cizynski added 13 during the 2013-14 season. Her 12 double-doubles this year is more than any Stag over the last three years have had combined (11).
 
Marist has won eight-straight games after dropping a Jan. 18 contest at Siena. The Saints are one of two MAAC teams to defeat the Red Foxes this year, joining Quinnipiac (Jan. 11).
 
The offense has been one of the keys to the success during this latest run, as Marist eclipsed the 70-point mark in six-straight games, a streak that was snapped in their most recent 58-47 win against Canisius. The Red Foxes shot just 19 percent from deep in that game against the Griffs (4-for-21) but had success inside shooting 75 percent on their 2-point opportunities.
 
Rebekah Hand leads the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game, a number that ranks second in the MAAC. Grace Vander Weide has controlled the offense, leading the team in assists (70) and rebounds per game (6.3) in just 16 games.
 
The Stags will close out their short home stand on Saturday when they host Siena in the team's annual Play 4 Kay contest with action beginning at 5pm.