Fairfield University Women’s Basketball — the 2022 MAAC Champions — will challenge the host University of Texas tonight: Friday, March 18, in the NCAA Championship First Round. The 15th-seeded Stags and second-seeded Longhorns tip off at 8 p.m. (ET) from Austin live on ESPN 2.

The Stags are making their first appearance in March Madness since 2001, when they received an at-large bid to the tournament. Fairfield’s 2022 MAAC Championship win — a 73-68 triumph over Manhattan this past weekend in Atlantic City — was the squad’s first conference crown since 1998.

Fairfield brings a 15-game winning streak to Austin which has fueled a 25-6 overall record and a 19-1 MAAC tally. The Stags’ 25 wins are tied for the most in program history.

Texas — the second-seeded team in the Spokane regional — is ranked #7 in the nation and has won its last 11 games, including a run to the Big XII Championship. The Longhorns are 26-6 overall and 12-3 on their home court.

The other side of this weekend’s bracket features the University of Utah and the University of Arkansas, with the winners meeting on Sunday for a place in the Sweet Sixteen.