Women's Basketball Looks to Continue Hot Streak Against Fairfield

Looking to continue its current three game win streak, the Harvard women’s basketball team will take on Fairfield Saturday at Lavietes Pavilion for a 6 p.m. tip off.

On a roll, the Crimson (3-1) head into the matchup with wins against Maine, Samford and Boston University. Undefeated at home, their only loss of the season has come at the hands of Minnesota in a high scoring matchup that ended with Harvard down 16, 103-87.

The Crimson are shooting well from beyond the arc as they average 9.8 three-pointers per game, a number that ranks twelfth in the nation. Their long range shooting percentage is also twelfth in the nation at .424.

The Stags (3-2) come into the matchup after a close 72-65 loss to the Rhode Island. Fairfield erased a 17-point deficit from the first half only to fall victim to a Rhode Island 10-2 run early in the fourth. The team’s other loss came to Sacred Heart in the first game of the season while their three wins came against Loyola, the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Mount St. Mary’s.

However, the Stags have two straight road wins this season and a third would be the first time the team has achieved such since the 2007-08 season. The team also has a strong record against Harvard, winning the last four matchups.

Players to look for on the Crimson include freshman Katie Benzan who has led the team in scoring the past two games with 16 against Samford and 22 against Boston University. She represents a strong threat from three-point range having gone 14-24 on the season, a percentage of 58.3. Inside the paint, senior forward Destiny Nunley leads the team in points with 54 this year. She also leads the team in field goals making 22 of 43 different attempts.

For Fairfield, junior forward Samantha Cooper leads the team in three-pointers with 11 of her 29 attempts from beyond the arc. However, senior forward Kelsey Carey leads the team in field goals with 29 finding their way through the rim. As a team, the Stags have outrebounded their opponents by 21 on the season. Fairfield has so far dominated the offensive boards and a successful Harvard team will have to find a way to get these rebounds in order to prevent second attempt shots.