Fairfield keeps winning as Stags run MAAC winning streak to 30 games
FILE -Fairfield head coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis reacts to play on the court during the first half of a first-round college basketball game against Indiana in the NCAA Tournament, March 23, 2024, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler), File)
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Carly Thibault-DuDonis has turned Fairfield into the top team in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in her three years at the school.
The Stags (16-3, 10-0) have won 30 consecutive regular-season conferences games after beating second-place Quinnipiac 72-63 on Thursday night. That’s one of the five longest active streaks in the country, putting the school in the company of South Carolina, UConn, South Dakota State and Florida Gulf Coast.
Fairfield’s coming off a historic season last year that saw the team get ranked for the first time in school history and reach the NCAA Tournament, where the Stags lost to host Indiana in the first round
What’s been most impressive this season is that Fairfield has done it without reigning MAAC Player of the Year Janelle Brown, who tore her ACL, lateral collateral ligament and meniscus in her left knee eight games into the season. She also fractured her femur.
“Nellie’s been an amazing player, a great teammate, a great leader, and the nice thing with Nellie is that even though she’s not on the floor, she’s extremely vocal,” Thibault-DuDonis said. “Her attitude and her presence going through such a major injury is remarkable because it’d be really easy to feel bad for yourself to to go inward, to isolate. And she’s been the epitome of presence.”
The Stags’ three losses all came before the New Year with defeats to Richmond, Oklahoma State and St. John’s. The loss to the Red Storm came in the first game after Brown was hurt.
The team has been able to survive without Brown by having a deep roster where everyone’s contributing.
“One of my challenges that I love is figuring out the right combinations at the right times,” Thibault-DuDonis said. “Because I can play 10 every night. And that’s a that’s probably my hardest job, which I’ll live with that challenge all year long.”
Four players scored in double-figures Thursday and that didn’t even include the team’s leading scorer Meghan Andersen, who was held to just four points.
Thursday’s win moved Fairfield into second all-time in the MAAC for consecutive regular season conference victories. The Stags moved past Marist’s mark of 29 in a row from 2006-09. Now they only trail Quinnipiac’s mark of 43 in a row from 2016-19.
“I think Carly and her staff have done a great job of just I think really kind of staying in their moment and not looking too far,” Quinnipiac coach Tricia Fabbri said. “They’re familiar with what teams are going to come and bring their best game against them. It’s really impressive to watch her be able to do what she’s doing.”
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