#9 Stags host #4 Quinnipiac in AH on Friday at 7:00 pm

[FU73]

The #9 Stags (8-9)(3-5) host #4 Quinnipiac (9-7)(4-3) at 7:00 pm on Friday in Alumni Hall. The Stags are (4-5) at home. Senior Kristin Schatzlein is 17 points away from reaching the most recognizable collegiate milestone: the 1,000 Point Club. Schatzlein would become the 28th Stag to reach the plateau and the fifth recruited by Head Coach Joe Frager.

FAIRFIELD - Quinnipiac
Scoring: 951 - 1012
Per Game: 55.9 - 63.3
Scoring Margin: -1.9 - +1.5
Scoring Defense: 57.8 - 61.8
Field Goals-Att: 358-930 - 347-1004
Field Goal Pct.: .385 - .346
Field Goal Defense: .398 - .387
3-Pt FG-Att: 65-221 - 110-397
3-Pt FG Pct.: .294 - .277
3-Pt FG Per Game: 3.8 - 6.9
3-Pt FG Defense: .311 - .271
Free Throws: 170-242 - 208-312
FT Pct.: .702 - .667
FT Made Per Game: 10.0 - 13.0
Rebounds: 572 - 634
Rebounds Per Game: 33.6 - 39.6
Rebound Margin: -2.5 - -1.2
Assists: 233 - 227
Per Game: 13.7 - 14.2
Turnovers: 230 - 258
Per Game: 13.5 - 16.1
Margin: +1.2 - +3.8
Assist/TO Ratio: 1.0 - 0.9
Steals: 112 - 144
Per Game: 6.6 - 9.0
Blocks: 57 - 86
Per Game: 3.4 - 5.4
Win/Loss Streak: W2 - W4

THE BOBCATS SCOUTING REPORT: The Bobcats are coming off probably the best season in program (and New England minus UCONN) history, earning 30 wins and a MAAC Championship. This season, however, was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Tricia Sacca (Fairfield ‘91) and her Quinnipiac crew. The squad graduated nearly 70 percent of their scoring including all five starters from their historical season. Their leading returning scorer, Maria Napolitano (who was also the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year last season) paces the team with 11.6 points per game for a Bobcats team that has won four in-a-row. Reigning MAAC Rookie of the Week, Aryn McClure is the team’s leading rebounder with 6.4 per contest. The strength of this Quinnipiac team has been there defense as they have forced 19.8 turnovers per game while allowing just 13.3 assists per contest. That ratio has also been the weakness with the Bobcats recording a 0.87 assist-to-turnover ratio this season compared to 1.4 a season ago.

Quinnipiac Roster:
quinnipiacbobcats.com/roster.aspx?path=wbball

Quinnipiac's SCOUTING THE STAGS: Picked to finish first in the MAAC preseason coaches' poll, Fairfield (8-9, 3-5 MAAC) struggled mightily to begin conference play as the Stags stumbled to a 1-5 record through six MAAC games. After losing only one key player from the 2014-15 squad that advanced to the MAAC Semifinal round, high expectations were placed on this experienced and talented 2015-16 squad returning the likes of All-MAAC level players in Kristin Schatzlein, Samantha Cooper, Kelsey Carey and Lizzy Ball. For all the talent returning on offense, Fairfield has struggled all season with scoring as the Stags rank 9th in the MAAC in points per game (55.9) but for all the offensive deficiencies the scoring defense (57.8 points allowed per game) leads the MAAC. Traditionally a slow-paced team on offense, Fairfield relies on their size and strong field goal percentage (38.5, 2nd in MAAC) to lead the way to victories. Another stat note that will back up the way in which the Stags prefer to play is in their rebounding numbers as the Stags sit last in the MAAC in rebounding (33.6) but also allow their opponents to grab the fewest rebounds per game (36.1) in the conference. Further extending the notion that if Fairfield is to win this game on Friday, they would most likely rely on their defense and half court offensive sets that drain the shot clock and produce good looks at the rim. Fairfield also takes care of the ball as the Stags average the fewest turnovers per game (13.5) in the MAAC by a wide margin as the next-closest team is Marist at 15.5. Four Stags sit in the Top 30 in the MAAC in scoring, led by Carey who comes in averaging 11.9 points per game. A true back to the basket scorer, Carey holds the second-best field goal percentage (51.8) in the MAAC but she doesn't rebound well at her position as the 6-foot forwards averages just 4.1 rebounds per game. Casey Smith might be the best all-around player on the Stags as she comes in with a stat line of 10.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 41.4 FG% and 76 FT%. Smith comes in ranking Top 10 in the MAAC in field goal and free throw percentage while she also leads the team in blocks with 14. Schatzlein is a 1,000 career point scorer who has struggled a bit with her shot to start the season as she comes in averaging 10.1 PPG while shooting just 33.7 percent from the floor. Still a gifted all-around threat, Schatzlein also comes in averaging 2.6 APG and 1.3 SPG while ranking 6th in the MAAC in three-pointers made per game (1.9) and 2nd in minutes per game (35.8). Samantha Cooper is the Stags' leading rebounder at 7.7 per game while she also averages 8.1 PPG and 34.1 MPG. Finally, the Stags' senior point guard Ball comes in with a MAAC-leading 4.9 APG while she sits 2nd in assist/turnover ratio (2.1) and 3rd in MPG (35.7). Depth has been a problem for the Stags this season as three players – Schatzlein (35.8), Ball (35.7) and Cooper (34.1) – all rank in the Top 6 in the MAAC in minutes played.

Game Notes:
www.nmnathletics.com/pdf9/4383908.pdf

Live Video ($5.95 ppv):
www.fairfieldstags.com/liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=32500

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

[FU73]

Stags up 19-17 at the end of the First Quarter shooting 70% FG and 66.7% from 3 pts.

Quinnipiac had led 8-3 to start the game.

Sam Cooper with 8 points.

[FU73]

Stags go scoreless for the first 7:02 minutes of the Second Quarter. Quinnipiac starts quarter with a 9-0 run.

[FU73]

Stags down 34-25 at the half after being outscored 17/6 in the Second Quarter. Casey Smith with her first basket with 2 seconds left.

Quinnipiac with 26 shots to 16 for the Stags.

Stags with 12 turnovers to just 3 for Quinnipiac.

Stags with 13/10 rebound advantage

Sam Cooper with 12 points and 5 boards
Kristin Schatzlein with 3 points
Kelsey Carey with 3 points
Lizzie Ball with 3 points, 3 boards and 5 assists
Kristine Miller with 2 points
Casey Smith with 2 points

[FU73]

Stags down 49-41 at the end of the Third Quarter but with 17 turnovers

Sam Cooper with 16 points and 8 boards
Casey Smith with 8 points and 4 board
Lizzie Ball with 6 points and 4 fouls
Kelsey Carey with 3 points and 3 fouls

[FU73]

Stags with only 1 point in the first 5 minutes of the Fourth Quarter being outscored 8-3.

[FU73]

Stags lose 64-55 with 21 turnovers and were outscored 17/6 in the Second Quarter.

Sam Cooper with 16 points and 8 boards
Kristin Schatzlein with 15 points and 4 boards
Casey Smith with 12 points and 6 boards

Stags
55
Field Goals 43.5%(20-46)
3-Point FGs 58.8%(10-17)
Free Throws 62.5%(5-8)
Rebounds 30(7-23)
Steals 3
Blocks 1
Assists 17
Turnovers 21

Quinnipiac
64
Field Goals 46.8%(22-47)
3-Point FGs 47.4%(9-19)
Free Throws 57.9%(11-19)
Rebounds 27(6-21)
Steals 6
Blocks 3
Assists 12
Turnovers 12

Box Score:
www.fairfieldstags.com/fls/32500/Stats/WBB/2015-16/ffdw0122.htm

Stags fall to (8-10)(3-6) with 11 MAAC games left.

Next:
Sun, Jan 24 Canisius at Webster Bank Arena 1:00 p.m. on ESPN3/SNY

[FU73]

“I’m really proud of the way our kids battled tonight,” Frager said. “We had our chances late. But we can’t keep having that one flat quarter. We played well for three quarters.”

That quarter Frager is referring to came in the second frame when the Stags (8-10, 3-6 MAAC) did not record a point until the 2:48 mark and managed just two field goals (one with two seconds remaining).

That came after a first period when the Stags could not miss. Fairfield tallied 19 points in the first quarter, led by Samantha Cooper who hit all three of her three-point attempts and led Fairfield to a 70 percent shooting efficiency.

“That’s great to see,” Frager said. “Sam has been struggling and she really carried us and had a great first quarter.”...

“[These next few games] are extremely important,” Frager said. “We can’t afford to have any no-show performances from this point on. We haven’t left ourselves with a margin for error going forward…Really every single game we play for the rest of the year is important. We need to do some damage over the next seven basketball games.”

[sobro]

Lizzy Ball with 6 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, and 1 turnover.

[vastagman]

Jan 22, 2016 22:38:29 GMT -5 FU73 said:

“I’m really proud of the way our kids battled tonight,” Frager said. “We had our chances late. But we can’t keep having that one flat quarter. We played well for three quarters.”

That quarter Frager is referring to came in the second frame when the Stags (8-10, 3-6 MAAC) did not record a point until the 2:48 mark and managed just two field goals (one with two seconds remaining).

That came after a first period when the Stags could not miss. Fairfield tallied 19 points in the first quarter, led by Samantha Cooper who hit all three of her three-point attempts and led Fairfield to a 70 percent shooting efficiency.

“That’s great to see,” Frager said. “Sam has been struggling and she really carried us and had a great first quarter.”...

“[These next few games] are extremely important,” Frager said. “We can’t afford to have any no-show performances from this point on. We haven’t left ourselves with a margin for error going forward…Really every single game we play for the rest of the year is important. We need to do some damage over the next seven basketball games.”

Frager seems to say the same thing after every game. He is always really proud in spite of the loss.

I tell you, if the men's team were picked to win the conference, and were sitting near the bottom at this point, the fans' explosion would be comparable to Mt. Vesuvius blowing in 79 AD.

[ctghostman]

the difference with this situation when compared to the men's team is that Frager hasn't had the disaster of the last two seasons that SJ has had so Frager gets the benefit of the doubt that he can right the ship.

[sobro]

8 seasons and a 20 win per season average. Indeed.

[stag84]

frager always trys to put a good spin on any bad loss. This team was picked first in maac! we are almost in last place, why? Personnel, coaching any thoughts? We still have marist, iona,and QU on the road!