GAME DAY INFORMATION |
DATE: January 31, 2026
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LOCATION: Pitt Center | Fairfield, CT |
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GAME DAY LINKS |
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO |
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THE LEAD
Battle of the 203!! The first installment of the crosstown rivalry comes from The Pitt as the Pioneers welcome the Fairfield Stags to campus for a Saturday matinee. While the Pioneers are riding high on a four-game win streak, Fairfield comes off its first conference loss of the season. Tip off in the MAAC battle from The Pitt is set for 2:00 p.m. with all of the action in the MAAC contest available live on ESPN+.
SCOUTING SACRED HEART
After closing out their non-conference schedule with a 2-7 record, the Pioneers reset and stand at 9-3 in MAAC play. Leading the Pioneers is senior guard Amelia Wood who has scored double figures in the last 16 games and 19 of the 21 games this season. For the season she is one of two players to average double figures at 14.9 ppg. In addition to her double figure scoring streak, Wood has recorded a team-high five doubles doubles which has lifted her average on the boards to 6.3 per game, while she also leads the way with 44 assists, 51 steals and 21 blocks. After increasing her career-high in scoring to 22 in the road win over Niagara, junior forward Nalyce Dudley is second in scoring average at 12.8 ppg while shooting at a team-high 48.3 percent (100-of-207) with that average increased to 53.5 percent when shooting from inside the arc. Freshman point guard Sophie Nascimento has also been a big factor to the success of late with her 9.5 per game scoring average in MAAC games, while she is averaging 11.6 points over the last eight games. As a team, the Pioneers are shooting 39.8 percent from the field (429-of-1,077) with 90 of the 429 baskets from outside the arc. Despite a season-low 11 turnovers in the January 3 meeting against Canisius, the biggest area of improvement for the Pioneers needs to come in ball control as they are currently turning the ball over at a clip of 18.2 turnovers per game.
SCOUTING FAIRFIELD
After never leading in the nationally televised game, the Stags dropped a 14-point decision to the now only undefeated MAAC team Quinnipiac for its first conference loss of the season. Despite the setback, the Stags are dominating in MAAC play, outscoring their opponents by 23.4 points per game. For the season, Fairfield is led by junior guard Kaety L'Amoreaux who is averaging 19.4 points per game followed by junior Megan Anderson at 16.3 ppg. The pair, the only two to average double figures, are a major threat from outside the arc where they have made a combined 116 three pointers. As a team, the Stags are dangerous from three, with 255 of their 581 total field goals from outside the arc. For the season, the Stags are shooting at a 46.0 percent clip (581-of-1,263), including 38.2 percent from three (255-of-668).
SERIES HISTORY vs FAIRFIELD
·      In a series that dates back to the Pioneers first year on the hardwood (1974-75), the Stags and Pioneers will meet for the 21st time on Saturday.
·      The Stags hold a 13-7 record in the previous 20 meetings.
·      Last season, the Stags took both ends of the home-and-home series in what was the first year as common MAAC opponents.
·      The most recent SHU win came on December 11, 2022, a 69-58 win on the Stags home court.Â
NEXT TIME OUT
After back-to-back home games, the Pioneers hit the road for a single mid-week match-up against the Merrimack Warriors, a team that SHU currently own a half-game lead over in the conference standings. The crucial conference battle will be the first of two against the league foes with Merrimack making the trip to The Pitt in mid-February. Tip-off in Thursday's MAAC battle is set for 7:00 p.m. with all of the action available live on ESPN+.
