Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The third-seeded Fairfield University women's basketball team was edged by sixth-seeded Siena College, 52-48, this afternoon in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Basketball Championship at the MassMutual Center.
 
Junior Brittany Obi-Tabot, who missed three games with an injury leading up to the tournament, returned to the starting lineup, delivering a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The forward went 5-for-8 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the free throw line in 32 minutes of action.
 
Junior Alexys Vazquez led all scorers with 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting from long range. Junior Katie Cizynski finished with 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting and six rebounds.
 
In the first half, Allison Mullings capped off a 9-2 Siena run at 7:37 with a lay-up to give the Saints a 24-13 advantage. Cizynski pulled the Stags within 24-18 by netting five-straight points. Fairfield continued to whittle away at the deficit as Vazquez made it a four-point game, 27-23, at 4:14 with a three-pointer from the corner.
 
After a basket by Lily Grenci at 3:43, Obi-Tabot grabbed an offensive board and stuck it in to make the score 29-25. Obi-Tabot then netted a pair of a free throws at 1:36 to make the score 29-27. Cummings hit a jumper in the lane to send Siena into the break with a 31-27 lead.
 
In the second half, Siena built its lead back up to seven points, 42-35, with just over 12 minutes to play. The Stags fought back once more as a three-pointer by Vazquez and a lay-up by Cizynski moved the Stags within 42-40 at the midway point. Cummings ended Siena's four-minute scoring drought at 8:29 with a jumper to return the lead to four points.
 
Down by six points, 46-40, with just under five minutes to play, Vazquez drained a three-pointer to cut the deficit in half. But in a span of 43 seconds, Cummings hit a lay-up and then a three-pointer to put the Saints on top 51-43 at the three-minute mark.
 
The Stags continued to fight back. With 59 seconds left, Vazquez drained a three-pointer from the top of the arc to pull the Stags within 51-48. After coming up with a stop of the defensive end, the Stags got the ball back with 20 seconds left. Siena stepped up its defensive pressure at the top of the key and forced a Fairfield turnover with 4.0 seconds left. The Saints iced it with a free throw.
 
Grenci, a First Team All-MAAC selection, finished with 17 points and nine rebounds while Cummings finished with 12 points.
 
With a 17-13 overall record, Fairfield awaits word on a potential bid to the WNIT or WBI. Official tournament selections will be made on March 18.