Box  Score

The Fairfield University women's basketball dropped a 70-56 decision to visiting Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foe Loyola University Maryland on Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard on Saturday. The loss drops the Stags to 17-9 overall and 10-5 in the league, while the Greyhounds improve to 16-12 on the season and 13-2 in conference action.

Taryn Johnson (Brockton, Mass.) shot 8-11 form the floor to lead the Stags with 20 points, as well as pulling in eight rebounds and blocking four shots. Desiree Pina (Plainville, Conn.) was the only other Stag to reach double-digits, tallying 13 points to go along with five assists. Brittany MacFarlane (Hamilton, Ontario) had a game-high nine rebounds, as well as scoring six points.

The Stags built a 10-7 lead on a pair of free throws by Pina 6:14 into the game, but the lead lasted only 46 seconds until Meredith Tolley drained a three-pointer. After a Miriam McKenzie jumper on the Greyhounds next possession, before Johnson hit two free throws at the 11:59 mark to tie the score again, 14-14. Loyola would score the next nine points in a 2:14 span to build a 21-12 advantage with 9:36 to play in the half.

Fairfield responded with a 7-0 run of its own, as Alexys Vazquez (Berlin, Conn.) drained a three-pointer nearly a minute later, after keeping the Stags possession alive with an offensive rebound. Johnson would score the net four points to get Fairfield back within two points, 21-19. Loyola ended the half on a 9-6 run to take a 30-25 lead into the locker room.

The Greyhounds would continue the run out of the break, outscoring Fairfield 20-11 to build a 50-36 advantage with 11:23 to play in regulation. Johnson scored five straight points and Pina followed with a basket of her own to cut the deficit in half, 52-45, with 8:43 remaining. Loyola scored five straight to push the lead back to 13, 58-45 with 5:05 to play. Fairfield scored the next five points, to get back within seven points, 60-51 (4:24) but could get no closer. Loyola finished the game with a 12-5 run, helped in part by six straight free throws by Tolley.

McKenzie led the Greyhounds effort with 23 points and seven rebounds in 39 minutes of action. Tolley tallied 16 points and was joined in double figures by Katie Sheahin with 14 points and Erica DiClemente with 10. Sheahin had a team-best eight rebounds, as well as four assists.

The Stags committed 18 turnovers in the game, leading to 18 Loyola points, while Fairfield scored 15 points off of 16 Greyhound turnovers.   Fairfield once again outrebounded a MAAC opponent, 34-33, and has still not been outrebounded by a conference foe.

Fairfield will play its final home game of the season on Monday night when it hosts MAAC foe Siena College at Webster Bank Arena. The game, set for a 7:05 p.m. tip-off will air live on MyTV9, and will be preceded by a Senior Day ceremony for Joelle Nawrocki (Unionville, Conn.) and Kelly Romano (Westport, Conn.), which will begin at 6:50 p.m.