Stags reach MAAC semis

A year ago, the Fairfield women’s basketball team was scheduled to play Marist in the MAAC tournament semifinals, only to have the season tur short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Stags will get that matchup with Marist after No. 4 seed Fairfield handled fifthseeded Manhattan 51-40 Thursday in a MAAC Tournament quarterfinal game in Atlantic City. It was the first meeting this season between Fairfield and Manhattan after their regularseason series was canceled. It was also the first time the teams had met in the MAAC tournament in 16 years.

The Stags will play No. 1 seed Marist on Friday at 11 a.m.

Fairfield (11-4 overall, 10-3 MAAC) was led by by junior forward Lou LopezSenechal with 21 points and graduate senior guard Katie Armstrong with 11 rebounds. The Stags smothered Manhattan (10-7, 9-4) with pressure defense and held the Jaspers to 24.6 percent shooting, including just 5-of-31 in the first half.

“I’m really proud of the effort that our kids put out today,” Fairfield coach Joe Frager said. “We knew it was going to be a tough one, but we got the job done.”

Fairfield brought the pressure early in the first quarter, limiting Manhattan to just one field goal in the opening period. LopezSenechal opened Fairfield’s scoring with back-to-back 3-pointers to get the lead three minutes into the

game. Despite near sixminute scoring droughts from both teams, the Stags were able to use an 8-0 run to lead the Jaspers 13-6 after the first quarter.

The Stags built their largest lead of the game, 25-10, at 3:58 in the second quarter thanks to back-toback buckets from LopezSenechal. Fairfield led 25-14 at halftime, holding Manhattan to 16.1 percent from the field, including going just 1-of-13 from 3-point range. The Jaspers were just 3 of 23 from beyond the arc for the game.

Fairfield and Marist split their series this year. The Stags lost 56-38 Jan. 15, then won 61-58 the next day. Both games were played at Alumni Hall in Fairfield.

Fairfield’s last semifinal win was in 2012 before losing the championship, 61-35, to Marist.

“It’s very exciting to be here after a year of waiting and we’re just ready,” Lopez-Senechal said. “Marist is a very exciting team to play against and we’re ready for them.”

HONORS

Lopez-Senechal was selected to the 2021 AllMAAC first team, while junior forward Andrea Hernangomez was named the 2012 MAAC sixth player of the year.