Fairfield has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will challenge the Wood Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Hopefully Fairfield focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 25 on Friday.
Fairfield was handed a 51-point defeat in their previous outing, but they didn't let that bad energy affect their game against the Mustangs on Friday. Fairfield came out on top in a nail-biter against the Mustangs and snuck past 38-36. The win was just what Fairfield needed coming off of a 80-29 loss in their prior matchup.
Fairfield's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Mariah Giron, who scored 14 points along with five steals. Another player making a difference was Mayana Williams, who scored five points along with 11 rebounds and four steals.
Meanwhile, Wood blew past the Royals, posting a 79-19 win on the road. Given Wood's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 421st, while the Royals are ranked 1199th), the result on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Wood's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Natalia Sanchez, who scored 22 points along with eight assists and six rebounds. It was the first time this season that Sanchez posted eight or more assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Andrea Howard, who almost dropped a double-double on 18 points and nine steals.
Fairfield's record now sits at 16-10. As for Wood, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-11.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Fairfield have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Wood struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Fairfield lost to the Wildcats on the road by a decisive 49-33 margin in their previous matchup last Wednesday. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Sanchez, who almost dropped a double-double on 22 points and nine rebounds. Now that Fairfield knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
