After roaring through the first month of conference play, Fairfield women’s basketball is getting ready for its toughest test yet.
The Stags (17-3, 11-0) play host to in-state rival Quinnipiac (16-4, 11-0) on Thursday night in a battle of MAAC unbeatens. It’s a matchup that has defined the conference over the last year, with the two teams splitting their home-and-home regular season series in 2025 before meeting for a third time in the conference championship game, a 76-53 win for the Stags.
The Bobcats’ 72-65 win in Hamden during the regular season finale last season represents the lone blemish on the Stags’ 56-1 record in conference play since the start of the 2023-24 season.
This year, the Bobcats feature a balanced offense with four scorers averaging double figures, led by graduate guard Jackie Grisdale at 13.7 points per game. But the big story of Thursday night’s contest could be a battle of strength on strength.
Quinnipiac leads the league in scoring defense and opponent field goal percentage, holding its opponents to 52.3 points per game on 35.9 percent shooting, good for seven points better than the next closest team. Meanwhile, the Stags offense is averaging 78.4 points per game, over ten points better than the second place Bobcats, thanks in large part to their nation-leading 12.5 made threes per game.
Both teams have largely dominated their MAAC opponents thus far as well, winning by an average of over 20 points per game. The Bobcats’ nine point win over Marist on Dec. 21 is the only conference game for either team with a single digit margin of victory.
Though the two teams will play again in Hamden on Feb. 14, Thursday night’s matchup represents a massive opportunity to get the inside track on the first overall seed for the conference tournament in March. And to add to the significance, the game was recently moved to ESPNU to be broadcast nationally.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Leo D. Mahoney Arena. The Stags will then take the short ride across town later this weekend to play Sacred Heart at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
