FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Fairfield University women's basketball team has been selected to play in the 2013 Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI). The Stags received the third seed in the region and will host sixth-seeded St. Francis University in the first round of competition on March 21 at 7pm in Alumni Hall.
It is Fairfield's second appearance in the WBI and its third national postseason berth in the last four seasons. The Stags received an automatic bid in the WNIT last season.
The Stags made their first WBI appearance in 2010, receiving the fifth seed in the East Region of the tournament and advancing to the second round. In the first round, Fairfield hosted No. 4 Towson University at Alumni Hall, and behind 24-point, 10-rebound Stephanie Geehan double-double, earned a 69-55 victory, their first-ever postseason win. A quick turn-around had the Stags in Boone, N.C. three days later where Fairfield fell to the eventual WBI Champion, Appalachian State.
Fairfield and St. Francis will meet for the first time since the 1989-90 season and for just the third time in program history. The Stags won both of the previous meetings with the Red Flash.
St. Francis (17-15) advanced to the Northeast Conference Championship game where they fell to Quinnipiac University. Fairfield sports a record of 17-13 overall this season. The Stags went 11-7 in league play to secure the third seed in the 2013 MAAC Basketball Championship where they were upset by Siena College in the quarterfinals.
The winner of the Fairfield/St. Francis contest will face the winner of the No. 2 University of Pennsylvania/No.7 Howard University contest in the second round which will be held March 23 or March 24. Also competing in the 16-team field are: Mercer, McNeese State, Elon, Eastern Kentucky, Lamar, Presbyterian, Utah State, South Dakota, Detroit, Belmont, Northern Kentucky, and the College of Charleston.