#6 Stags host #8/9 Niagara on Friday in AH

[FU73]

The Stags (11-10)(6-6) host Niagara (6-15)(4-8) on Friday at 7:00 pm in Alumni Hall. The Stags are (5-1) in their last 6 games and are on a 3 game winning streak while Niagara is on a 4 game losing streak. The Stags lost 56-55 at Niagara on January 4.

FAIRFIELD - Niagara
Scoring: 1189 - 1184
Per Game: 56.6 - 56.4
Scoring Margin: -1.1 - -9.3
Scoring Defense: 57.7 - 65.7
Field Goals-Att: 443-1131 - 443-1172
Field Goal Pct.: .392 - .378
Field Goal Defense: .396 .420
3-Pt FG-Att: 89-276 - 78-302
3-Pt FG Pct.: .322 - .258
3-Pt FG Per Game: 4.2 - 3.7
3-Pt FG Defense: .318 - .361
Free Throws: 214-305 - 220-329
FT Pct.: .702 - .669
FT Made Per Game: 10.2 - 10.5
Rebounds: 712 - 738
Rebounds: Per Game 33.9 - 35.1
Rebound Margin: -1.7 - -3.1
Assists: 295 - 294
Per Game: 14.0 - 14.0
Turnovers: 288 - 342
Per Game 13.7 - 16.3
Margin: +0.7 - -1.5
Assist/TO Ratio: 1.0 - 0.9
Steals: 127 - 153
Per Game: 6.0 - 7.3
Blocks: 63 - 56
Per Game: 3.0 - 2.7
Win/Loss Streak: W3 - L4

Game Notes:
www.nmnathletics.com/pdf9/4441807.pdf

THE PURPLE EAGLES SCOUTING REPORT: Plagued by injuries, only seven players have appeared in at least 18 games for Niagara. The Purple Eagles come into the contest on a four-game losing streak. Prior to this recent stretch, Niagara had won four of their last five after beating the Stags. Out of those seven players, Sam Lapszynski leads the team with 12.9 points per game and is second in the MAAC in field goal percentage (.002 behind Carey’s .500 clip). The Stag killer, Kaylee Stroemple (who averages 12 points per game against Fairfield), is right around that mark this season, netting 11.8 points per contest. All-time against the Stags, Stroemple is shooting 20-for-30 (67 percent). Niagara plays an inside game which accounts for a high field goal percentage inside the arc 42 percent (365-for-870). The Purple Eagles have just one player who averages more than one 3-pointer made per game (Tiffany Corselli).

Niagara Roster:
www.purpleeagles.com/roster.aspx?path=wbball

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

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

[FU73]

Stags up 13-5 at the end of the First Quarter.

Niagara with just 2 baskets shooting 16.7% (2/12) and 6 turnovers

Kelsey Carey with 10 points and 2 boards
Kristin Schatzlein with 3 points and 2 boards with 3 points

[FU73]

Stags up 29-14 at the end of the half outscored Niagara 16/9 in the Second Quarter.

Niagara with 22/20 rebound advantage but with 12 turnovers

Kelsey Carey with 12 points and 2 boards
Kristin Schatzlein with 9 points and 3 boards
Casey Smith with 4 points, 1 board and 2 assists
Kristine Miller with 2 points and 4 boards
Helena Orts with 2 points

[FU73]

Stags up 46-29 at the end of the Third Quarter shooting 47.7% FG (21/44)

Stags with a 8/0 steal advantage.

Kelsey Carey with 18 points and 3 boards
Kristin Schatzlein with 11 points and 5 boards

[FU73]

Stags win 61-43

Stags outscore Monmouth in every quarter.

Kelsey Carey with 18 points and 3 boards
Kristin Schatzlein with 11 points and 6 boards
Casey Smith with 10 points and 3 boards
Kristine Miller with 9 points and 6 boards
Helena Orts with 6 points and 5 boards
Sam Cooper with 5 points and 4 boards
Lizzie Ball with 2 points, 8 boards and 5 assists

STAGS
Score 61
Field Goals 44.1%(26-59)
3-Point FGs 28.6%(4-14)
Free Throws 83.3%(5-6)
Rebounds 38(9-29)
Steals 9
Blocks 2
Assists 16
Turnovers 11

Monmouth
Score 43
Field Goals 34%(18-53)
3-Point FGs 33.3%(4-12)
Free Throws 33.3%(3-9)
Rebounds 34(10-24)
Steals 1
Blocks 2
Assists 13
Turnovers 19

Stags now at (12-10)(7-6)

Next:
Sun, Feb 07 Siena at Webster Bank Arena at 1:00 p.m.

[FU73]

The Stags used another balanced team attack with three players in double figures as Fairfield won their fourth-straight game with a 61-43 victory over Niagara, their second largest margin of victory this season.

“That’s the balance that’s so important for us,” Head Coach Joe Frager said. “Especially when one player is a little off or has a little lull, someone can step up and carry the load a little bit.”

“I love when our team comes together,” Casey Smith, who had her 13th double digit showing in her last 16 games, said. “Everybody gets their points, everybody gets their boards, everybody gets defensive stops, it’s just a really great time to be on the court when everybody is playing their best....

“We’re getting better,” Coach Frager said about the team’s defense. “There is still work to be done there but we’re definitely getting better. When you practice for a team in a couple of days and you have a defensive game plan and certain tendencies you want to take away, and your kids go out there and do that, it makes it all worthwhile.”...

“I’d like to say it was all about one team meeting we had,” Frager said. “I think that helped…but I just think we all got sick and tired of how we were playing. We were putting so much effort into things, we weren’t seeing the results, but I think they’re paying more attention to detail.”

“I think our past made us better,” Smith said. “We realized what we had to fix and we went into the gym and fixed it.”

Box Score:
www.fairfieldstags.com/fls/32500/Stats/WBB/2015-16/ffdw0205.htm

AH attendance was 481 fans at the game. Not sure if that is "creative accounting" but it's one of the largest home crowds this season.