Taryn Johnson scored five of her game-high 22 points in the extra period to lead the Fairfield University women's basketball to its fifth consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) win, 67-63, over host Iona College Friday night. The Stags improve to 15-7 overall and 8-3 in the league, while the Gaels fall to 9-14 on the season and 5-6 in conference action.

Tomica Bacic scored the first basket of the overtime period to give Iona its final lead of the game, 59-57. Johnson scored the next four points, with a field goal and two free throws to put the Stags ahead for good. She hit 3-3 from the line in overtime, 8-13 for the game, to lead the Stags effort.

Iona built a 27-25 lead at the intermission, but the Stags scored the first nine points of the second-half to build their largest lead of the game, 34-29, 2:46 into the period. The second-half saw nine of the games ten ties, with no team leading by more than the Stags five point edge. The Stags led 50-47 on a Desiree Pina jumper with 5:27 to play, but watched the Gaels score five straight to take a 52-50 lead 67 seconds later. Kristina Ford hit 1-2 free throws with 19 seconds remaining to go up 57-55. Katelyn Linney, who scored 10 points on the night, knotted the score with a lay-up in the paint, 57-57, with five seconds to play, to force the extra period.

Johnson had her fifth double-double of the season, pulling down a team-best 10 rebounds, as well as handing out three assists and three steals. Brittany MacFarlane also had 10 rebounds, to go along with five assists, as Fairfield won the battle of the boards, 45-42. Pina knocked down 7-15 from the field to score 16 points, as well as handing out four assists.

Fairfield shot 39.3 percent from the field for the game, hitting 3-4 in overtime, while knocking down just 1-11 from the field. The Stags hit 18-26 from the free throw line, going 4-6 in the extra period. The Stags had 14 assists, 14 turnovers, eight steals and four blocked shots.

Iona received a 20-point, 14-rebound double-double from Anda Ivkovic in her 31 minutes of action. Bacic was the only other player in double figures for the Gaels, with 15 points on 6-13 shooting, with eight rebounds. The Gaels shot 35.4 percent for the game, 2-9 in overtime, and knocked down 5-19 from behind the arc. The Gaels were good on 12-18 at the free throw line, knocking down both of their attempts in the overtime period. Iona had 17 assists, 13 turnovers, seven steals and two blocked shots on the night.

Fairfield returns to action on Sunday, February 6, when it hosts Marist at Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard at 1 p.m. All YMCA adult members will receive two-for-one tickets, and youth members will receive free admission to the double-header, with the Stags men's team taking on Rider at 3:30. In addition all City of Stratford residents get two tickets, in the end court section, for the price of one with proof of residence.