FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Women's Basketball team will open Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play when they travel to Jersey City, N.J., to face the Saint Peter's Peacocks on Saturday at 2pm.
 
The Stags start league competition after posting a 4-5 non-conference mark and is most recently coming off a 69-58 setback against Sacred Heart. The Stags allowed a season-low 19 field goals against the Pioneers but were hurt by 23 fouls called leading to 23 Sacred Heart made free throws, both a season-high. Fairfield also turned the ball over 21 times which resulted in 19 points.
 
Izabela Nicoletti-Leite led the Stags with 21 points, her fourth-straight game reaching the 20-point mark. During that span, she is averaging 21.3 points while shooting 58 percent from 3-point range. She enters the weekend as the MAAC leader in 3-point percentage at .490, the 23rd best number in the country.
 
For her success, which included her first career double-double against Sacred Heart, Nicoletti-Leite was named the MAAC Player of the Week for the first time in her career.
 
As a team, the Stags are shooting .377 from distance, which would be the second-best number in school history, trailing just the 2000-01 squad who went .383 from long-range.
 
Callie Cavanaugh has also been a positive offensive option for the Stags after tallying double figures in eight of the team's nine games. She enters Saturday 57 points shy of the 1,000 career point mark.
 
Saint Peter's enters the game with an 0-8 mark after a 42-38 setback against NJIT on Saturday. Jada Williams is the team's leading scorer at 11.3 per game and also hauls in the most rebounds for the team with 7.0 caroms per contest. Former Stag Jazmine Carter has started all eight games for the Peacocks and is averaging 5.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. It will be the first time in program history that the team will compete against a former player.
 
The Stags will have a quick turnaround when they host Iona on Monday night at 7pm. The game will also be Fairfield's annual toy drive. The Fairfield University's Women's Basketball team is teaming up with Al's Angels in hosting a toy drive. Al's Angels has provided an Amazon wishlist. Each person that donates will receive one free scoop of ice cream to Saugatuck Sweets and be entered into a raffle to win a gift card to Saugatuck Sweets (proof of purchase is necessary, an Amazon receipt/confirmation email is best). 
 
To learn more about Al's Angels and their mission of providing support to children and families battling cancer, rare blood diseases, natural disasters & severe financial hardship, visit their site.