BALTIMORE, Md. – The last word on the Fairfield dry erase board was “nothing tentative.” And from the get-go the Stags didn't hesitate and it all started from the inside. The Stags dominated the dark green paint at Reitz Arena, scoring most of their points inside the lane, grabbed 48 rebounds, allowed just eight Loyola shots inside the lane, and picked up their first road win of the season in dominating fashion. Fairfield snapped a three game losing streak at Reitz Arena taking a 71-45 victory against their former MAAC foe Loyola.

“We've got to try and make our inside play an advantage for us,” Head Coach Joe Frager said. “We try and establish the inside game as much as we can but I love that we had that balance. We were hitting that mid-range shot tonight. That's really important for us.”

Just like in the season opener, the Stags got off to a fast start. Using their height advantage against a Loyola team who consisted of athletic guards, Fairfield jumped out to a 17-7 lead after the first quarter. The road team used a balanced attack with eight of their first 10 points coming from inside the lane. Lizzy Ball jump-started the run making two drives and scoring four points in the stretch. That opened the outside for the Stags and they took advantage. Kristin Schatzlein, who missed her first career game against La Salle, hit her first 3-pointer of the season to give Fairfield their 17-7 lead.

Their height also gave the Stags a distinct rebounding advantage. Fairfield grabbed 16 of the game's first 23 boards which helped them control the tempo of the game.

The lead would be extended to 20 in the second quarter as the Stags kept showing their prowess in the paint. Kelsey Carey and Samantha Cooper would combine for 10-straight points inside the paint and Kristine Miller converted a 3-point play to give Fairfield a 35-15 lead at the halftime. It was the second-straight game the Stags have held an opponent to just 15 first half points.

Their presence inside the lane didn't just translate to points and rebounds. Fairfield held Loyola to shoot 6-for-30 in the first half. The low shooting percentage did not allow the Greyhounds to set up a full court press and take advantage of their matchup problems.

The Stags extended their lead to 26 and cruised to their 71-45 victory.

Four Fairfield players reached double figures with Carey led the way with 20 points and Smith added 14 points. Schatzlein and Cooper both added 10 in the victory.

The Stags also improved on their free throws. Smith went 4-for-4 from the line while Miller chipped in four free throws on five attempts.

Fairfield controlled the ball dishing out 13 assists with just six turnovers (two in the second half).

“That's what we said at shoot around today, nothing tentative on either side of the floor,” Coach Frager said. “We need to go at them and be aggressive.”

Loyola, who shot well from long range, hit seven of their 17 3-point attempts good for a 41 percent clip. However, inside the arc the Greyhounds knocked down just eight in their 38 attempts. Diana Logan had her second-straight game with three 3-pointers and finished with a game high 11 points. Logan is 6-for-7 in her last two games from behind the arc. The Stags held Loyola's leading returning scorer Colleen Marshall to a 3-for-16 shooting night for seven points.

Kendra Landy, playing in her first collegiate game showed the toughness that she is known for. The guard picked up two steals and a block in her eight minutes of play. Casey Foley also stayed perfect in her collegiate career, knocking down her only 3-point attempt.

Cooper and Schatzlein had nine rebounds apiece in the win. Cooper has recorded 22 rebounds in her first two games.

The Stags move to 2-0 for the ninth time in program history and the fifth time in the last seven seasons. Fairfield will now return home to open up a five match home streak as they renew the rivalry against Sacred Heart on Saturday at 5pm at Webster Bank Arena.