BRIDGEPORT, Conn – It's not always going to be easy. The Stags who trailed for just 19 seconds coming into the game were tested for the first time this season, but they responded. Helped from another double-digit performance by Kelsey Carey and valuable minutes from walk-on Emma McCarthy, the Stags grinded past rival Sacred Heart to take a 61-50 victory in the Crosstown Classic.

“They know they have it in them,” Head Coach Joe Frager said. “They scraped it together and got it done, so hopefully we can grow from that. But they also have to learn they can't have first quarters like that. That first quarter was a nightmare.”

It's hard to argue with that. The Stags (3-0) scored just five points in the first seven minutes of the game and turned the ball over eight times during that span. Sacred Heart (0-3) took full advantage and jumped out to an 18-5 lead.

The next quarter the Stags woke up, and it was thanks to a lineup that was not their regular one. With Casey Smith and Carey in foul trouble (two fouls apiece), the Stags turned to the other part of their bench. McCarthy, a walk-on, entered midway through the second quarter and the Stags would allow just four points in the rest of the quarter.

“Every day in practice Emma gives us everything,” Coach Frager said. “She's such a bright kid, she picks things up really, really fast. She obviously doesn't get as much repetition as the other girls, so it's a bit of a challenge for her.”

“Coach told me to go to the table, and I went,” McCarthy said. “Coach told me in practice that I had to step up in the post and I didn't anticipate anything like this.”  

Her best moment came at the 2:22 mark when she her 3-point attempt spun in for her first career field goal, cutting the deficit to 22-19.

The second half belonged to the Stags.

Carey and Kristine Miller put it 12 points apiece, as the Stags scored 21 points in the third quarter, with 10 of those coming from their bench. Fairfield kept the defensive presence throughout, allowing just 11 Pioneers points.

“We hadn't been down like that, so it shook us up a bit,” Carey said. “But as a team we are very resilient and we know how to respond, and I think that's exactly what we did today.”

The Stags led by as many as 14 in the fourth quarter, with Carey giving them every big basket they needed. Through the first three games, Carey has led the team in scoring in each game and has totaled 56 points. How important is Carey's production? The Stags are 11-1 all-time when Carey reaches double figures.

Samantha Cooper finishes just one rebound shy of a double-double for the second straight game. She also picked up a career-high four out of Fairfield's season-high nine steals.

Fairfield now moves to 3-0 for the fifth time in program history and the third time under Frager. Their next game will be their biggest challenge on paper when they meet fellow unbeaten Hofstra on Tuesday at 7pm.