#6 Stags at #7 Monmouth Saturday at 4 pm on ESPN3

[FU73]

The Stags' statistical best defense in the MAAC will hit the road to take on the second-highest scoring team in the conference when the Fairfield University Women’s Basketball team travels to Monmouth on Saturday for a 4:00 pm game airing live on ESPN3. Fairfield enters the game allowing 57.5 points per game which is the lowest number in the conference while the Hawks are scoring 65.3 points per contest which only trails Quinnipiac's 66.1 ppg. The Stags are (4-4) on the road and Monmouth is (4-5) at home averaging 576 fans.

THE HAWKS SCOUTING REPORT: The second-highest scoring offense in the MAAC, the Hawks’ offense has cooled down recently averaging 61 points per game since their historic win against Marist. The Hawks rank 20th in the country for most 3-pointers made with 157, which also leads the conference. The biggest reason for that number has been sharpshooter Sarah Olson who averages 2.6 3-pointers per contest which is the 39th best number nationally and second in the MAAC. Fairfield will have plenty of chances to guard her shot, as only 12 players in the country have attempted more long range shots. Another problem that the Hawks will provide the Stags is the battle on the boards. Fairfield will come into the game allowing the fewest offensive boards in the league, but have not seen a player like Christina Mitchell yet. Mitchell, a 6-4 junior ranks eighth nationally with four offensive rebounds per game and has 9.6 boards overall in just 28.4 minutes per game.

Monmouth Roster:
www.monmouthhawks.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14300&SPID=7660&SPSID=67787&DB_OEM_ID=14300

FAIRFIELD - Monmouth
Scoring: 1121 - 1240
Per Game: 56.0 - 65.3
Scoring Margin: -1.5 -5.2
Scoring Defense: 57.5 - 70.5
Field Goals-Att: 420-1073 - 455-1278
Field Goal Pct.: .391 - .356
Field Goal Defense: .401 - .415
3-Pt FG-Att: 85-262 - 157-502
3-Pt FG Pct.: .324 - .313
3-Pt FG Per Game: 4.3 - 8.3
3-Pt FG Defense: .320 - .340
Free Throws: 196-284 - 173-264
FT Pct.: .690 - .655
FT Made Per Game: 9.8 - 9.1
Rebounds: 673 - 773
Rebounds Per Game: 33.7 - 40.7
Rebound Margin: -1.3 - -2.4
Assists: 279 - 255
Per Game: 14.0 - 13.4
Turnovers: 278 - 324
Per Game: 13.9 - 17.1
Margin: +0.6 - +0.7
Assist/TO Ratio: 1.0 - 0.8
Steals: 124 - 174
Per Game: 6.2 - 9.2
Blocks: 62 - 78
Per Game: 3.1 - 4.1
Win/Loss Streak: W2 - L2

Game Notes:
www.nmnathletics.com/pdf9/4417015.pdf

ESPN3:
espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/2712625/fairfield-vs-monmouth

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

[FU73]

Stags down 5-10 at the end of the First Quarter with only 2 baskets shooting only 12.5% FG 2/16 including 0/7 from 3 pts.

Monmouth with a 17/11 rebound advantage

Kelsey Carey with 3 points and 1 board
Sam Cooper with 2 points and 3 boards

[FU73]

Stags down 18-21 at the half shooting only 26.7% FG 8/30. Stags getting open looks but Schatzlein and Cooper combined shooting just 2/14.

Stags now with 9 turnovers.

Monmouth with a 41/30 shot advantage and a 28/25 rebound advantage

Kelsey Carey with 11 points and 4 boards.
Kristin Schatzlein with 3 points, 5 boards and 4 assists
Sam Cooper with 2 points and 6 boards
Casey Smith with 2 points and 1 board
Lizzie Ball with 0 points 3 boards and 3 assists

[FU73]

Stags up 40-37 at the end of the Third Quarter now shooting 37.8% FG.

Kelsey Carey with 20 points.

[FU73]

Stags win 68-60 shooting 39.7% FG.

A great come back win and confidence builder after the awful 5 point first quarter but 28 points in the final quarter and outscoring Monmouth 50/39 in the second half. 9 turnovers in the first half and only 1 in the second half.

Kelsey Carey with 24 points and 6 boards
Kristin Schatzlein with 20 points, 7 boards and 7 assists
Casey Smith with 12 points, 1 board and 2 assists
Sam Cooper with 7 points and 10 boards
Lizzie Ball with 5 points, 7 boards and 7 assists


STAGS
Score 68
Field Goals 39.7%(23-58)
3-Point FGs 28.6%(4-14)
Free Throws 85.7%(18-21)
Rebounds 39(5-34)
Steals 3
Blocks 1
Assists 16
Turnovers 10

Monmouth
Score 60
Field Goals 32.9%(25-76)
3-Point FGs 28.6%(8-28)
Free Throws 100%(2-2)
Rebounds 48(17-31)
Steals 6
Blocks 1
Assists 10
Turnovers 14

Stags now at (11-10)(6-6)

Next:
Fri, Feb 05 Niagara * Alumni Hall 7:00 p.m.
Sun, Feb 07 Siena * Webster Bank Arena 1:00 p.m.

[FU73]

The Stags started the game shooting 12.5 percent (2-for-16), but finished the contest at a 50.0 clip (21-for-42).

“I was very happy with that,” Head Coach Joe Frager said. “We tried to keep the tone as positive as possible as we could at halftime. Obviously I wasn’t real happy with the way we played so I had to resist the temptation t going off at half because I don’t think that’s what they needed. We talked about the momentum going our way and having to start quickly.”...

“We had really good looks but we just didn’t knock shots down,” Frager said. “For Kelsey to come up like that in the first half until we were able to settle ourselves at halftime that’s really important because if she doesn’t have that kind of half, we were only down three, I don’t know if that would have been the case.”

“We talk about it a lot in the locker room, if someone is having an off day, it’s one of our jobs to step up,” Carey said. “We just need to take responsibility ourselves to get the job done and put the ball in the hoop.”....

In the final quarter, Schatzlein showed her senior leadership, scoring 13 points, including the first five points for the Stags.

“Considering the fact she didn’t get off to a good start today, that can mess with you a little bit,” Frager said. “We just told her, ‘you can shoot it, you’re our best shooter, keep taking them. Don’t shoot it if you have a doubt. If you’re going to take it like you’re going to knock it down, that’s the Schatz I know.’”....

[postrdskip]

Great win for the women!!!