The Fairfield University women's basketball team suffered its first defeat of the season Monday night, falling 52-44 to the University of Rhode Island in a non-conference game at Alumni Hall. The Stags fall to 3-1 on the year, while the Rams improve to 3-1.

Megan Shoniker (Rochester, N.Y.) drained a three-pointer from the top of the key with 3:41 to play in regulation to give Rhode Island a 45-44 lead – its first since a 6-5 advantage 5:35 into the game. The basket capped a 22-11 Rhode Island run that began when the Stags led 33-23 4:37 into the second-half.

Taryn Johnson (Brockton, Mass.) missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 3:26 to play and Rhode Island came away with the rebound. After maintaining possession for nearly a full minute, Ashley Rivera (Lowell, Mass.) knocked down a long three-pointer as the shot clock was running out, for a 48-44 advantage.

Fairfield was led by Katelyn Linney (Freehold, N.J.) who finished the game with 17 points. The sophomore knocked down five three-pointers as she led the Stags in scoring for the third consecutive game. Johnson had 14 rebounds in the outing, three on the offensive glass, as well as scoring eight points.

Shoniker led all scorers with 23 points for the Rams, hitting 8-15 from the field, with three three-pointers, and going 4-6 at the free throw line. Lara Gaspar (Spa, Belgium) also finished in double-digits, hitting 5-14 for 10 points, and had seven rebounds. Kerry Wallack (Madison, Conn.) pulled down a game-high 18 rebounds for Rhode Island.

The early portion of the first-half was a back-and-forth affair with six lead changes in the first 5:52 of play and neither team leading by more than a point. Linney knocked down her first three pointer of the game with 13:32 to play in the half to give the Stags a 10-6 advantage.

Fairfield built that lead to nine points (20-11) with a 10-5 run that saw Linney and Sarah Paulus (Manlius, N.Y.) both hit three-point field goals and capped by a 16-footer by Laura Vetra (Riga, Latvia) at the 7:45 mark of the half. URI scored the next six points, with four from Lara Gaspar (Spa, Belgium) to close within three points, 20-17, with 4:46 to play before intermission.

Linney snapped the Rams run with a three-pointer 61 seconds later, but that would be the final points of the half for Fairfield. Shoniker knocked down a pair of free throws with 3:15 to play and Gasper scored in the paint with 36 seconds remaining to get the Rams within two points, 23-21 at the intermission.

The Stags defense, and Linney's shooting, sparked an early second-half run for the Stags. Linney drained a three-pointer – the first points of the half for either team – 97 seconds into the period to give the Stags a 26-21 advantage. Two Fairfield possessions later Vetra scored in the paint and with 16:09 to play in regulation, Linney knocked down her another three-pointer, for a 31-21 advantage. During that four minute stretch Fairfield held URI to 0-6 shooting from the field, forced three turnovers and blocked three shots.

Joelle Nawrocki (Unionville, Conn.) answered a Gaspar score, the Rams first of the second half, and the Stags lead was 10, 33-23, 5:37 into the half. Rhode Island mounted a 9-3 run over the next six minutes to close within four points, 36-32. Johnson ended the run with a driving lay-up at the 8:20 mark. The Rams turned the ball over in their own backcourt leading to another basket in the paint for Johnson at the 8:08 mark and a 40-32 Fairfield advantage.

The Rams continued the run, closing to within 40-37 with 6:54 to play. Linney gave the Stags their first basket in nearly three minutes at the 5:54 mark, for a 42-37 lead, but was answered by a Shoniker three-pointer 29 seconds later. Vetra tallied what would turn out to be Fairfield's final points of the night with a basket in the paint and a 44-40 edge with 4:52 to play in the game.

The Stags finished shooting a season-low 32.7 percent, 18-55, from the field, including 9-29 in the second-half. Fairfield also hit a season low six three-pointers, shooting 27.3 percent from behind the arc, while going just 2-7 at the free throw line.

Rhode Island shot 35.8 percent from the field for the game, but hit 11-26 in the second-half. The Rams were 10-15 at the stripe and hit four three-pointers. Rhode Island finished with a 47-32 advantage in rebounds, including a 14-9 edge on the offensive glass. 

The Stags committed a season low nine turnovers in the game, while the Rams turned the ball over 12 times. 

The Stags take to the road for the first time on Sunday, when they travel to Easton, Pa., for a 1 p.m. contest versus Lafayette.