The Fairfield University women's basketball team shot 50 percent from the field in the second-half to pull away for a 61-46 win over Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) host Saint Peter's College Friday evening at the Yanitelli Center. For the Stags, 13-6 overall and 6-3 in league play, it is their third consecutive win, while the Peahens fall to 3-17 on the year and 3-6 in conference action.

Fairfield hit 5-8 from the field to begin the second-half, expanding a six-point halftime lead to 16 points, 34-18 just under five minutes into the period. The Peahens would close with 10 points, 34-24, with just under 12 minutes to play in regulation but would get no closer. Katelyn Linney (Freehold, N.J.) knocked down a three-pointer on the Stags next possession to end the Peahens 6-0 run and start a run of her own, scoring eight straight points to push the lead 17 points, 41-24. Fairfield would lead by as many as 18 points three times during the final minutes of the half.

The Stags hit their first 11 free throws of the second-half to finish 14-320 for the game at the stripe. The Stags ended up hitting 21-50 from the field, with a 5-14 effort from behind the arc.

Linney led all scorers with 19 points, hitting 3-7 from behind the arc and all four of her free throws. Taryn Johnson (Brockton, Mass.) scored 17 points, hitting 7-8 from the field, as well as pulling down nine rebounds.   The junior handed out a game and career-high six assists as well as two steals and a blocked shot in 23 minutes of action. Desiree Pina (Plainville, Conn.) finished with 16 points, hitting 6-12 from the field and 2-3 from behind the arc. Joelle Nawrocki (Unionville, Conn.) added five points, all at the free throw line, and Katie Cizynski (Southbury, Conn.) added four points off of the bench to round out the scoring.

Fairfield continued its dominance on the glass in MAAC play, with a 39-32 edge over the Peahens, and has now had at least the same number of rebounds in all nine MAAC games. Brittany MacFarlane (Hamilton, Ontario) had her fourth double-digit rebound game of the conference slate, pulling down a game-high 11 boards. 

The Peahens jumped out to a 4-0 1:31 into action on a pair of baskets 19 seconds apart. The Stags answered with baskets from Pina (17:42) and Cizynski at 15:51, to knot the score 4-4. Saint Peter's retook the lead, 6-4, on an Aziza May (South Euclid, Ohio) basket on the team's next possession. It would be the last points that Fairfield allowed Saint Peter's for e Peahens would put on the board for nearly 10 minutes.

During the defensive effort by the Stags would put together 10 consecutive points, culminating with a 14-6 lead on a Linney three-pointer at the 7:27 mark. Johnson scored six consecutive points during the stretch, including a steal at the top of the key that she took the distance for a fast-break basket.

Quiana Porter ended the Peahens drought with a basket in the paint at the 6:08 and sparked a 5-0 Saint Peter's run that cut Fairfield's lead to 14-11 with 4:31 to play in the half. A pair of Johnson free throws (3:24) was followed by a Pina three-pointer a minute later to push the Stags advantage back to eight points, 19-11. Fairfield finished the first-half on a 7-4 run to take a 21-15 lead to the intermission.

Saint Peter's was led by the 14 points of Lauren Morris, who shot 7-12 from the field for the game. The Peahens received a five-point, 10-rebound effort from Jynae Judson, who was 2-14 from the field. Saint Peter's shot 34.5 percent from the field for the game and went scoreless, 0-4, at the free throw line.

The Stags return to action on Sunday afternoon when they host MAAC foe Rider University at Alumni Hall. The Stags will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day at the 1 p.m. game with all female fans receiving free admission to the contest.