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FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University women's basketball team came from behind to knock off Loyola University Maryland, 44-42, this evening on Senior Night at Alumni Hall. Senior Taryn Johnson tallied her ninth double-double of the season to help Fairfield improve to 21-7 overall and 14-3 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
 
Senior Desiree Pina was the Stags' leading scorer with a game-high 16 points. Johnson finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds to goal along with four blocks.
 
Prior to tip-off Johnson, Pina, and classmate Sarah Paulus, were recognized for the efforts over the last four seasons with the Stags. The trio has helped Fairfield to 76 victories, including two 20-win seasons, during their time in a Stags uniform.
 
The senior class combined for 10 of the first 12 points of the night for the Stags. It was only fitting that Pina scored the first basket of the game, a three-pointer at 19:33, which came off a pass from classmate Paulus. After Johnson hit a free throw to give Fairfield a 4-3 lead, Paulus came up with a steal on the defensive end to halt a Loyola breakaway. Pina made it a 7-3 game with her second trifecta of the night, this one coming at 17:01 off a Johnson pass. Pina returned the favor 45 seconds later, finding an open Johnson under the basket for an easy lay-in.
 
Loyola (13-15; 9-8 MAAC) stormed back using a 12-2 run to overtake the Stags, 15-12. Junior Katelyn Linney drilled a three-pointer from the corner to tie the game at 15-15 at the 8:05 mark. Both teams struggled to find the basket over the next six and a half minutes, combining for just five points. The Greyhounds Katie Sheahin broke the drought at 1:38 with a lay-up and then sank a pair of free throws to give Loyola a 22-16 lead. Alexys Vazquez netted a three-pointer with 41 seconds remaining to pull the Stags within three but the Greyhounds would head into the break with a 22-19 lead.
 
Fairfield erased a six-point deficit in the second half to pull within 30-29 on a three-pointer by Vazquez at 14:59. Loyola pushed its lead to 34-30 but back-to-back jumpers in the lane by Johnson tied the game at 11:47. Linney gave the Stags the 37-34 lead at 10:18 with a three-pointer while Pina made it 40-34 with a three-pointer of her own. Vazquez gave Fairfield the 42-34 advantage at the 7:21 mark with a lay-in. Meanwhile defensively, the Stags held the Greyhounds scoreless during this six-minute stretch until Sheahin put one in at 6:49 to make the score 42-36.
 
Loyola chipped away at the Fairfield lead, pulling within 44-42 on a basket by Miriam McKenzie with 2:16 to play. Both teams hunkered down on defense and the Stags were able to come away with their 21st victory of the season.
 
Linney finished with eight points, which included a pair of three-pointers. Linney brought her career total to 199 three-point field goals made and is 10 away from tying the all-time Fairfield record. Vazquez also finished with eight points on the night for the Stags.
 
The Stags were a 9-0 record in Alumni Hall this season and 11-1 overall at home. Fairfield's only home loss this season was to Marist at Webster Bank Arena in mid-January.
 
Fairfield closes out the 2011-12 regular season on Sunday, February 26 at Rider University in a game that will be broadcast live on ESPN3 at 1pm. The Stags will be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming 2012 MAAC Basketball Championships at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. Fairfield will face the winner of the No. 7/No. 10 game in the quarterfinals on March 2 at 9:30am.