Box Score

The Fairfield University women's basketball team saw its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship dreams dashed in the quarterfinals of the 2011 Spark Energy MAAC Championship late Friday afternoon 36-33 by fourth-seeded Siena College at Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard.

Both teams offenses got off to a slow start in the contest, with the fifth-seeded Stags (17-13) missing their first 11 shots, but were still only trailing 2-0. Desiree Pina, who led the Stags with 11 points, put Fairfield on the board 7:19 into the game, tying the score. Maja Gerlyng answered 21 seconds later with a basket in the paint, to put the Saints back-ahead, 4-2, but it would be the last point Fairfield allowed for nearly 10 minutes. In the interim, the Stags hit 5-9 shots to build a 15-4 advantage.

The second half started slowly as well until Missy Ramsey converted a conventional three-point play 2:00 in to cut the Stags lead to 15-10. Fairfield answered with five straight points and Pin hit at the 17:39 mark and Joelle Nawrocki drained a three from the corner 32 seconds later. It would be the final time that the margin was double-digits as Siena scored six straight points, in a 2:55 span to get back within four points, 20-16. 

Fairfield pushed the lead back to eight points, 28-20, on a Taryn Johnson basket with 9:22 remaining. After four consecutive points by the Saints, Johnson scored again to give the Stags a 30-24 edge with 7:39 left. Siena scored six of the next seven points to close within a point, 31-30 with 3:14 to play on a Ramsey three-pointer.

After empty trips by both squads Pina gave the Stags a 33-30 lead with a jumper with 2:06 to play, but it would be the final points of the game for Fairfield. Siena did not score from the field the rest of the way, but went 6-6 at the line, all in the final 1:21 to earn the win.

Fairfield suffered its worst free throw shooting night since a January 16 loss to Manhattan on Friday, hitting just 4-10 at the stripe for the game, while the Saints were 12-14 for the game. The Stags finished the game shooting 26.5 percent, with 3-11 coming from behind the arc. The Saints hit 23.4 percent from the field and were 2-8 from downtown. For the second time in as many games, Siena won the battle of the boards, 43-36.