FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Five Stags scored in double figures as the Fairfield University women's basketball team defeated Niagara University, 81-77, this afternoon at Alumni Hall to improve to 2-0 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play.
 
Senior Alexys Vazquez had a career-high 24 points by going 6-for-7 from the floor, with four three-pointers, and 8-for-10 from the free throw line. Senior Katie Cizynski, the reigning MAAC Player of the Week, posted her second-straight double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Senior Brittany Obi-Tabot had 17 points after going 4-for-7 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free throw line. Sophomore Kristin Schatzlein tallied 13 points, five boards, and four assists while junior Felicia DaCruz had 13 points, three assists, and three rebounds.
 
Niagara's Val McQuade started the game by stealing the ball shortly after Fairfield won the tip and taking it in for a lay-up. Fairfield countered with an 11-0 run to take the lead. The Purple Eagles cut it to 11-8 after a three-point play by Gabby Baldasare. Niagara later made it a one-point game, 13-12, at 12:22 but the Stags answered with an 8-2 run over the next five minutes. The Purple Eagles, however, used a 10-2 run of their own to overtake the Stags 29-25 with 2:40 left. Vazquez stopped the run with a three-pointer 20 seconds later while Obi-Tabot gave Fairfield the 30-29 lead with a pair of free throws at 1:37. The Stags took a 32-31 lead into halftime.
 
Trailing 36-34 at the start of the second half, Cizynski successfully converted a three-point play to ignite a 13-2 run for the Stags over the next 3:34. Niagara chipped away at the deficit and came back to tie it, 48-48, with just over 11 minutes to play. A three-pointer by Vazquez halted the Niagara run at 10:44 while the Stags pushed out to a 60-51 advantage with under eight minutes to play. DaCruz extended the Fairfield lead to 10 points, 67-57, with a pair of free throws at 4:32. Late in the game, Niagara cut it to 80-77 with 3.6 seconds left but a free throw by Cizynski made it a two-possession game with one second remaining and secured the win for the Stags.
 
Fairfield (7-4; 2-0 MAAC) went 29-for-37 from the free throw line while Niagara (2-9; 0-2 MAAC) was 19-for-21 from the charity stripe. The Stags shot 45.1 percent from the field while the Purple Eagles shot 44.1 percent. Niagara out-rebounded Fairfield, 37-29.
 
Freshman Kristine Miller added four points and four rebounds for the Stags. For Niagara (2-9; 0-2 MAAC), four Purple Eagles scored in double figures with Chanel Johnson recording a team-high 19 points. McQuade had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds while Meghan McGuinness had 15 points and Taylor McKay finished with 11 points.
 
The last time Fairfield had five Stags score in double figures was last season against Saint Francis University during the opening round of the Women's Basketball Invitational.
 
Fairfield returns to action on January 3 when it travels to Monmouth University for a 7pm tip. The Stags return home to Alumni Hall to host Quinnipiac University at 2pm.