Box Score SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Samantha Cooper scored in double figures for the fourth straight game, and Casey Smith extended her streak to three, but it was not enough as the Stags fell to arguably their toughest opponent of the season 79-47 to Seton Hall on the road. The Pirates won their ninth straight game, their longest winning streak in the last decade, and added to their argument for a national ranking.
"We faced a very talented, long, and athletic team with a number of offensive weapons," Head Coach Joe Frager said. "They are clearly one of the best in the Big East. My concern is that when you go from West Virginia to Seton Hall to Iowa State to La Salle, all on the road, that a young team like ours can get shaken mentally, as well as physically."
The Stags (2-7) went toe-to-toe against the Big East title contenders through the first 14 minutes of the game, holding the lead for three minutes in the first half. On her birthday, Smith scored six of the team's first 11 points as Fairfield held a lead that extended to the 15:41 mark. The redshirt sophomore would finish with 14 points for the third straight game.
"I'm really happy with Smitty," Coach Frager said. "We need to increase her touches when possible. Coop also battled tonight."
A team that likes to get into transition, Seton Hall (10-1) looked like it would go on their expected run as they scored eight points to take a 14-7 lead. Cooper, however, would hit three long range shots for the Stags to put the visiting team back in the lead 17-16. Cooper has now hit a deep shot in all nine of her games this season.
A team that had been plagued by turnovers in the early part of the season, Fairfield forced their own share of Seton Hall miscues. The Stags forced 11 Seton Hall turnovers in the first half, and limited their miscues to nine. As a team, Seton Hall had come into the game 11th in the nation grabbing more than 20 turnovers per game.
The Pirates would eventually go on their point scoring stretch taking the lead with 6:46 to play in the half and went on a 19-6 run that capped the first half. Fairfield would go into the locker room trailing 36-23.
That run would prove to be the difference of the game as the Stags would not get closer to within seven points of last year's WNIT Third Round participant. Fairfield showed their balance in the second stanza with all five starters scoring a basket in the first four minutes.
Helena Orts scored six points in the second stanza and shot 2-4 in the frame. Orts also had two assists in the contest and now has six assists and one turnover over her last two contests. Kristen McLaughlin received some valuable playing time, recording a career-high 10 minutes and grabbing two rebounds.
The Stags continued to force the issue on the defensive end, and would end up forcing 16 Pirates turnovers. The Stags accomplished this in a variety of ways including drawing four offensive fouls, three in the second half.
"The four charges that we took was a season-high for us," Frager said. "Hopefully this competition toughens us for the MAAC."
Seton Hall who entered the game shooting 32 percent from three, shot at a 52 percent clip from behind the arc tonight, led by reigning Big East Player of the Week Tabitha Richardson-Smith who shot 4-7 from behind the arc. Richardson-Smith was coming off a program-tying 38 points against Illinois. She would finish with a game-high 19 points.
Fairfield who entered the game with the 54th most difficult schedule in the country, will now travel to Iowa State for a game with the Cyclones on Sunday at 2pm. It will be the third game against a team who has received votes in the national poll, in their last five outings.
