Women's Basketball Upset by #6 Rider in MAAC Quarterfinals

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Four Stags scored in double figures but it was not enough as the third-seeded Fairfield University women's basketball team was upset by sixth-seeded Rider University, 63-56, in the quarterfinals of the 2014 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship this evening at the MassMutual Center.

Senior Alexys Vazquez finished the night with 11 points, including three three-pointers to break Holli Tapley's single season record of 84 three-pointers which was set during the 2000-01 campaign. Senior Katie Cizynski finished with 15 points, including 13 in the second half, and five rebounds.

Sophomore Kristin Schatzlein scored in double figures for the fourth straight game, finishing with 10 points. She also had seven rebounds. Junior Felicia DaCruz posted her second career double-double with 13 points and 10 assists. She went 11-for-13 from the free throw line.

The Stags (20-10) opened the game with a 9-0 run which quickly prompted a Rider timeout at 17:21. Neither team scored again until 14:05 when Schatzlein tucked in a pass from Cizynski to make it 11-0. The Broncs scoring drought ended at 13:44 on a bucket by MyNeshia McKenzie.

Fairfield continued to roll. Vazquez hit her second three-pointer of the night at the 10:56 mark to make the score 16-7 while tying the Fairfield single-season record for three-pointers made.

Rider (15-16) continued to hang around, cutting the gap to 18-14 on a lay-up by Julia Duggan at 7:05. McKenzie picked off a pass 20 seconds later and took it in for a lay-up to make it a two-point game. With 4:45 left, Schatzlein hit a huge three-pointer from the corner to return the lead to five points. A bucket by Vazquez and a pair of free throws gave the Stags a 25-16 lead with 2:46 left to go. McKenzie, however, powered an 8-3 run for the Broncs, scoring all eight points, to make it 28-24 with just over a minute left. The score would remain that way as the two teams headed into the locker room.

Cizynski, who missed most of the first half with foul trouble, scored just 30 seconds into the second half to make it a six-point game. Schatzlein hit a three-pointer at 16:20 to open up a 33-24 advantage. Fairfield held Rider scoreless until the 15:49 mark when McKenzie hit a free throw. The Broncs would not hit a field goal until the 13:43 mark as Kornelija Valiuskyte hit a three-pointer. The Stags, meanwhile, received back-to-back buckets from Cizynski to open up a double-digit lead, 37-25, with 14:28 left to play.

Rider cut into the Fairfield lead, 43-34, at 8:54 on a lay-up by Duggan. Stephanie Mason followed with a three-pointer at 8:21 to make it 43-37. DaCruz stopped the run with a pair of free throws at 7:47 but McKenzie got the points back with a lay-up. With 5:28 remaining, McKenzie hit a pair of free throws to make it a four-point game. Mason followed with a three-pointer at 4:54 to pull Rider within 45-44. Just 40 seconds later, Mason hit another three-pointer to put Rider on top 47-45.

Cizynski hit one of two free throws at 4:04 to make it a one-point game but Rider received another three-pointer from Mason to make it 50-46. After trading buckets, Rider received a lay-up from Maritta Gillcrease at 2:06 for a six-point lead. Cizynski came through with a lay-up but McKenzie netted two free throws at 1:18 to make it 56-50.

With 32.6 seconds left, Vazquez hit her record-breaking three-pointer to pull the Stags within 60-54. Rider was able to stave off Fairfield for the win.

In her final MAAC game, senior Brittany Obi-Tabot posted six points.

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