The boisterous home court of Indiana proved to be too much for Fairfield, a mid-major women’s basketball team.
In Bloomington, Indiana, it’s widely known that the South Carolina women’s team entered the NCAA tournament as the sole unbeaten team across genders. However, do you know which team, men’s or women’s, had only one loss?
Meet the Fairfield women’s team. Despite their impressive 31-1 record and a single loss four months ago against Vanderbilt by a slim margin of three points, the Stags faced a challenging matchup on Saturday. They boasted a remarkable 15-1 record in true road games and a flawless 20-0 record in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, a feat unmatched by any men’s team except South Carolina among women’s teams. Yet, their exceptional performance earned them a No. 13 seed and a trip to Indiana, where the Hoosiers had a perfect 15-0 home record this season.
Coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis expressed some mixed feelings, stating, “I was a little, I won’t say disappointed but I think this team has earned more than that. But we’ll keep earning it.”
Despite initially leading Indiana by five points in the second quarter and trailing by only three in the third, the Stags couldn’t maintain their momentum. Indiana’s coach Teri Moren acknowledged Fairfield’s strong performance in the first half but noted her team’s decisive 43-13 run towards the end, resulting in an 89-56 victory for the Hoosiers. Fairfield’s players now have to reflect on the season and look ahead to next year, where they anticipate most of the team returning. However, the true potential of this team remains unknown. Indiana, with its experienced players, strong coaching, and rich basketball tradition, likely would have won the game regardless of the venue. Nevertheless, it was a daunting task for a team that played in front of crowds averaging 1,886 to face a roaring crowd of 12,753, predominantly cheering for the opposing team.
