FAIRFIELD, Conn. – For the first time in 21 years the Fairfield University Women's Basketball team heard their name called in the NCAA Tournament and they were selected as a 15-seed in the tournament and will face the Texas Longhorns on Friday in the NCAA First Round. The Stags earned the automatic qualifier in winning their first MAAC Championship since 1998.
 
"We're thrilled to be in the NCAA Tournament," Head Coach Joe Frager said. "We're just really proud of this group and we really didn't care where the selection committee sent us. We just want to play. Texas is a phenomenal program and we're just looking forward to getting to Texas and lacing them up and giving them our best."
 
Fairfield will be making their fifth all-time appearance in the Big Dance and the first since they earned an At-Large selection in 2001.
 
The Stags punched their ticket to the Tournament after dominating the MAAC during the regular season, posting a 19-1 conference mark, their best MAAC season in program history. Fairfield downed Manhattan in an exciting MAAC title game 73-68 to lift the trophy for the first time since 1998.
 
Lou Lopez-Senechal was named the Tournament's MVP after averaging 18 points in the tournament including a team-high 24 in the Championship Game. She enters the tournament as the MAAC's leading scorer at 19.6 points per game and has netted 587 points this season, the third most in program history.
 
Fairfield will enter the tournament winners of 15-straight, setting the program's Division I record for consecutive wins. Fairfield also posted 25 victories throughout the season, tying the program's all-time mark.
 
Texas enters with a 26-6 overall mark after defeating No. 4 Baylor to claim the Big 12 Championship. The Longhorns have three players averaging double figures, led by Aliyah Matharu with a 12.5 scoring mark.
 
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
 
The 15-seeded Stags are part of the Spokane Region with the winner facing No. 7 Utah and No. 10 Arkansas.