#2 Marist at Alumni Hall on Monday

[FU73]

After their 47-54 WBA loss to #5 Siena on Saturday, the #3 Stags (11-6)(12-14) will host #2 Marist (13-4)(17-9) in the final home game of the MAAC Regular Season on Monday at 7:00 pm in Alumni Hall. The Stags now must win at least two of their final three games to have a chance at the three seed in the conference tournament. The Stags are (7-4) at home and for what it's worth average 830 fans. Marist is (7-5) away from home. Tickets are $8.00 for Adult and $5.00 for Senior/Youth with FREE Parking. The Promotion is Senior Citizen's Appreciation game: All seniors will receive $5 admission. However, Seniors always pay $5.00 in Alumni Hall for any game. Maybe they'll just be "appreciated" more on Monday night in this non-promotion Promotion?

The Stags upset Marist 56-55 in Poughkeepsie on January 6. In the last 3 games the Stags are (2-1) and Marist is (1-2).

Scoring Offense
Marist - 64.2 ppg (#4)
Stags - 56.3 ppg (#8)

Scoring Defense
Marist - 59.2 ppg (#1)
Stags - 61.1 ppg (#2)

FT Percentage
Marist - .770 (#1)
Stags - .626 (#10)

Stag Offense
Casey Smith with 12.1 ppg and 4.6 boards
Kristin Schatzlein with 11.5 ppg and 3.7 boards
Kelsey Carey with 7.3 ppg and 4.2 boards
Samantha Cooper with 7.2 ppg and 6.5 boards

SCOUTING THE RED FOXES: Marist narrowly avoided doing something they have not done in a decade, lose three-straight conference games as they came back to defeat Iona in a nationally televised affair. However, after the Fairfield loss, Marist went on a stretch where they won nine of their next 10 games. The nine-time defending MAAC Champions have only dropped one road game in the conference (Quinnipiac). Just like almost every year during the Red Foxes historic nine-year run, they have built their team around defense, which currently ranks first in the MAAC. Opponents are shooting just 35 percent from the floor, which is the 19th lowest number in the nation. Offensively, once again the Red Foxes are very disciplined checking in with the 24th best assist-turnover ratio in the country while committing the third fewest personal fouls among all schools (12.2 per game). When they get to the line, Marist is shooting 77 percent from the charity stripe, sixth best in the country and only two percent from first place. Marist has players to fill every role. Tori Jarosz is one of the best post players in the confer­ence and lead the team with 17.9 points per game, second in the MAAC. She is also shooting 54 percent from the field. Madeline Blais is their threat from long range, second in the league shooting 43 percent from behind the arc. Sydney Coffey is their slashing guard with 12.1 points per game

Marist Roster:
www.goredfoxes.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=27700&SPID=95216&SPSID=638736

Video ($5.95 PPV):
www.fairfieldstags.com/liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=32500

Live Stats:
www.fairfieldstags.com/liveStats/liveStats.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=32500

Audio:
www.wvof.org/listenlive

Stag Schedule:
Mon, Feb 23 #2 Marist in Alumni Hall 7:00 PM (vs. (1-0)
Thu, Feb 26 #3 Iona at New Rochelle, N.Y. 7:00 PM (vs. (1-0)
Sat, Feb 28 # 11 Manhattan at Riverdale, N.Y. 2:00 PM (vs. (1-0)

[FU73]

An interesting stat:

The Stags are tied with Cleveland State and Tennessee for the most 2nd half comeback wins in the country with 10.

[FU73]

All month and up until today (the day of the game) the Promotion Schedule had tonight's game as:

Senior Citizen's Appreciation game: All seniors will receive $5 admission.

However, all season Senior tickets have always been $5.00 in Alumni Hall. So today the Stag website now has:

Senior Citizen's Appreciation game: All seniors will receive COMPLIMENTARY admission
www.fairfieldstags.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=32500&ATCLID=209616331

The Stag Sports Report email that I received just now has the correct Promotion information but less than 4 hours before the game:
www.fairfieldstags.com/pics33/0/FN/FNHMXMCVKHDTHIG.20150223163027.jpg

I doubt that will make much of an impact on tonight's attendance but regardless it is indicative of how the Stag website is still having problems. In addition, the PROMOTIONS link to Find More About Promotions still has since August:

Promotions
Check back soon for the Fall 2014 promotions!

And the FACILITIES picture for Alumni Hall still has the out of focus picture while all the rest have long been updated:
www.fairfieldstags.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=32500&ATCLID=209529877

Somebody at some level in the Athletic Department needs to care and take the responsibility to see that the Stag website is the best that it can be but at the very least accurate, correct information, timely and with pictures that are in focus.

[FU73]

Stags up 22-10 at the half. Holding Marist to only 4 baskets!

Still long scoreless minutes for the Stags again after hitting just two field goals in the final 9:43 of the half.

Kristin Schatzlein with 7 points and 6 boards
Samantha Cooper with 6 points and 6 boards
Casey Smith with 6 points and 2 boards

STAGS
Score 22
Field Goals 29%(9-31)
3-Point FGs 40%(2-5)
Free Throws 50%(2-4)
Rebounds 26(9-17)
Steals 4
Blocks 0
Assists 5
Turnovers 4

MARIST
Score 10
Field Goals 17.4%(4-23)
3-Point FGs 10%(1-10)
Free Throws 50%(1-2)
Rebounds 17(3-14)
Steals 1
Blocks 2
Assists 1
Turnovers 7

[stagthomas]

Wow. I wanted to be here tonight but just couldn't. How did the lady stags do that?

[FU73]

It should be interesting to see what changes Marist makes. Stags need to stop the long scoreless minutes.

[FU73]

Stags lose 50-56 As Marist scores 46 second half points. Stags down 50-52 miss a layup for the tie with 24 seconds left in the game.

Stags shot only 44.4% FT (4/9) in a game the Stags let slip away at home. Marist got it done in the second half.

Kristin Schatzlein with 14 points and 10 boards
Kelsey Carey with 9 points and 5 boards
Felicia DaCruz with 8 points and 4 boards

Samantha Cooper and Casey Smith(4 PF) with no points in second half.

STAGS
Score 50
Field Goals 34.4%(21-61)
3-Point FGs 36.4%(4-11)
Free Throws 44.4%(4-9)
Rebounds 40(14-26)
Steals 6
Blocks 0
Assists 12
Turnovers 9

MARIST
Score 56
Field Goals 38%(19-50)
3-Point FGs 33.3%(6-18)
Free Throws 85.7%(12-14)
Rebounds 36(7-29)
Steals 4
Blocks 7
Assists 10
Turnovers 12

Stags fall to (11-7)(12-15) but are still tied with Iona (11-7)(14-13) for third as Iona lost on Sunday to Quinnipiac.

Next: At Iona on Thursday, February 26 at 7:00 pm. The Stags beat Iona 77-66 in Alumni Hall on January 29.

[stagthomas]

Heartbreaking.

[FU73]

Stags lost a 17 point second half lead as the game slipped away.

One of the keys Head Coach Joe Frager told the team before the game was ‘Show Me Your Heart Tonight’ and for 30 minutes the Stags grabbed every 50/50 ball, dominated the boards, and quietly stunned the Marist offense. But in the end, the composure and poise of the nine-time defending MAAC Champions Marist overtook the Stags.

“This one hurts,” Coach Frager said. “Our kids played very hard. I was really happy with our effort tonight, I thought they showed a tremendous amount of heart and desire. We did a tremendous job defensively in the first half, probably couldn’t play much better defense than we did. Marist is a tough team to guard, they run a motion offense as well as anybody.”....

“They did a really good job freeing Maddy Blais (24 points),” Frager said. “I think we got a bit rattled and we lost her. Credit to her, whenever she had a sliver of an opening she knocked the shot down and they played with a great composure.”......

The Stags out-rebounded Marist 26-17 in the opening 20 minutes, including 9-3 on the offensive glass. Combine that with forcing seven turnovers on just one assist for Marist (who came in as the 24th best team in the country in assist-turnover ratio) and you have the recipe for an upset. “Very happy about that,” Frager said. “That’s something we really talked about extensively. The 50/50s that’s not a matter of physical ability that’s a matter of heart and desire. One of the keys was show me your heart tonight, and they did that."....

“You just try and coach them through it,” Frager said. “When you try and simplify things as much as you can for them because when things start going poorly, the game tends to speed up on a young player. As a coaching staff you just try and keep it as simple as you can out there to try and help them regain their composure.”

Box Score:
www.fairfieldstags.com/fls/32500/Stats/WBB/2014-15/ffdw0223.htm

Game Reacap Video & post game comments:
www.fairfieldstags.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?catid=90014&id=3745943

[sobro]

Actually, FF didn't miss a layup down 2. Dacruz had a clear lane to the basket and Jarosz made a great block rotating from the week side. Tremendous defensive play.