FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's basketball team is set to welcome crosstown rival Fairfield for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) tilt on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m. at the Pitt Center. 

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OPENING TIP

• Sacred Heart welcomes crosstown rival Fairfield on Saturday, Feb. 8, for a 2 p.m. clash at the Pitt Center.
• The Pioneers will meet the Stags for the 19th time in the two teams' histories, with SHU trailing in the series 11-7. 
• The Pios last played on Thursday, suffering a 72-57 road loss to Rider in Lawrenceville, N.J. 
• The Broncs controlled the first quarter, while SHU shinned in the second to take a 35-32 deficit into halftime. 
• The lead changed hands multiple times in a close third quarter, but an 8-0 run by the Broncs to start the fourth gave the home team the momentum it needed to secure the win. 
• For the ninth straight game, Ny'Ceara Pryor led the Pioneers in scoring, with 14 points, adding eight steals in a near double-double. 
• Emma Kirby and Sierra Johnson also scored 10+ points with 11 and 10, respectively. 
• Johnson's 10 points is a new season high for the junior, as she also crossed 500 career points.

LAST TIME OUT
The Pioneers suffered a 72-57 road loss to Rider on Thursday evening in Lawrenceville, N.J. The Broncs dominated the first quarter before SHU commanded the second to take a 35-32 deficit into the halftime break. The lead changed multiple times in a hard-fought third quarter, but Rider added to its advantage, going into the fourth up 51-46. Unfortunately for SHU, the Broncs started the fourth on an 8-0 run, which propelled them to the 15-point victory. Ny'Ceara Pryor led the Pioneers on both sides of the ball on Thursday, tallying 14 points and eight steals, two off her career high. Emma Kirby also crossed double figures with 11 points and eight rebounds, while Sierra Johnson tallied a season-best 10 points. 

SWIPER KEEPS SWIPING
Pryor continues to be one of the best defenders in the country, as she tied a program record with 10 steals against the Great Danes on Nov. 16. She continues to be one of the best defenders in the country, as she ranks second in DI with 4.1 steals per game and third in total 82 steals after tallying eight steals at Rider on Thursday.

SCOUTING FAIRFIELD

• The Stags continue to be one of the strongest mid-major teams in the country, as they own an 18-3 overall record and are ranked 10th in the Collegeinsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25.
• Fairfield is a perfect 12-0 in MAAC play this season, winning all but one league game by 10 or more points. 
• The Stags last steamrolled Marist with an 80-49 victory on Thursday on the road in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 
• Fairfield has excelled on both sides of the ball this season, leading the MAAC in scoring offense and defense. 
• The Stags have been incredibly stingy on defense, ranking ninth in the country by allowing just 53.7 points per game. 
• A strength of Fairfield's approach this season has been its balanced attack, as Meghan Andersen and Kaety L'Amoreaux rank first and second on the team in scoring with 14.8 and 13.5 points per game, respectively. 
• Izabela Nicoletti-Leite has been the Stags' main facilitator, with 5.3 assists per game.
• The graduate student from Americana, São Paulo, Brazil, is eighth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.0.  

SERIES HISTORY

• The all-time series between the two crosstown rivals dates back to 1975 and features 18 games. 
• SHU trails the series 11-7, winning three of the last five meetings. 
• Last year's clash was a classic, as the Stags escaped with a 66-61 win in overtime after tying the game in the final second of regulation.