Fairfield reaches MAAC title game
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Janelle Brown was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year for many reasons.
So the Fairfield University women’s basketball team’s senior guard came into the conference tournament not concerned about proving or justifying why she was honored. She’s played her game, and that’s why the No. 25 Stags are a win away from the tourney crown and the MAAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Brown scored 17 of her 19 points in the first half and added four rebounds, four assists and three steals as top-seeded Fairfield took command in the opening 20 minutes before defeating fifth-seeded Canisius 77-64 in semifinal action at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall on Friday.
“I’m so grateful to receive the award, but that’s not where my mind is at right now,” Brown said. “We’ve got one more. We’ve got a championship game to win. It’s focus. I’ve got my blinders on and I’m not focused on that stuff. I’m focused on my team and how we need to continue to come together and win games.”
Fairfield (30-1) will take on No. 2 Niagara in Saturday’s final at 3:30 p.m. The Purple Eagles eliminated third-seeded Siena Friday. Its swept the season series with Niagara, winning on the road 77-54 on Jan. 4 and at Leo D. Mahoney Arena 95-65 on Feb. 24.
The Stags — who reached the 30-win plateau for the first time and have won 28 straight — are 4-7 in MAAC finals.
“It’s definitely a gameby-game mentality,” Brown said. “Humble but hungry. We have to keep looking forward, but if you look too far ahead then you’re left behind. We’ll do what we do best and that’s play basketball.”
Fairfield didn’t play its best in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, needing a late surge to put away Rider 57-51. Brown had 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
Brown made sure that didn’t happen again.
“She’s everywhere,” Fairfield forward Emina Selimovic said. “She’s there for on-ball stops, steals, drives ... She’s so physical and gets the team going. She’s just a great teammate.”
Getting the openinggame jitters may have helped, too.
“Our energy and intensity were up today,” Brown said. “When we woke up about 7:15 this morning we were ready, we were hyped. We were ready to go, like, ‘Who’s next?’ We were juiced up. Now it was time to play.”
Fairfield gave up a 3pointer to Brooklyn Thrash to open the scoring but Brown had five points in a 10-1 run that put Fairfield up to stay. It was 18-9 after one quarter and 40-24 at the half.
Canisius (17-14) got within 15 with 3:37 left, but Kendall McGruder answered with a 3 for Fairfield.
The Golden Griffins got the next six points to make it a 12-point game but got no closer.
“I loved how we set the tone to start the game,” Fairfield coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis said. “Our defense really spurred our offense. Our defensive pressure early on got them on their heels. Seeing the ball go in early was a welcome sight.”
MAAC Rookie of the Year Meghan Andersen added 16 points while Selimovic (11 points, 12 rebounds) chipped in a double-double and a strong effort on the defensive end against Canisius’ leading scorer and rebounder Sisi Eleko, who fouled out in 23 minutes with four points and five rebounds. Eleko had been averaging a double-double.
“She’s a huge part of the Canisius team,” Selimovic said. “We wanted to make her catches tough, know where she was on the floor, and having great backside help was huge. I knew I could try to disrupt her, knowing my teammates had my back.” Athina Lexa had 19 points for Canisius.
Brown played a role in Fairfield’s last MAAC championship two years ago and played in the Stags’ 2022 NCAA firstround loss to Texas. One of her goals in the preseason was to make a return trip to the NCAA Tournament and that would be assured with a win Saturday.
She doesn’t have to be the MAAC Player of the Year, just herself.
“I trust her with everything,” Thibault-DuDonis said. “There’s a reason she’s one of our captains. She and I have a great relationship but it’s also been consistent with what our message has been with this team all year long with the top 25 and winning the MAAC regularseason championship — enjoy the moment, enjoy what we’ve earned to this point, and get back to work when the time comes. This team has done an unbelievable job with that. They’ve done a great job of getting refocused after every big moment we’ve had.”