FAIRFIELD, Conn. – There are many numbers you can credit for Fairfield's 74-62 win against IPFW. There's Kelsey Carey's team-high 19 points, Casey Smith's near double-double with 13 points and nine boards, or Kristine Miller's six fourth quarter points. But the orchestrator of the Stags' season-high 74 points was arguably Lizzy Ball. The senior dished out a career-high 10 assists, scored eight points, grabbed a personal best six boards, and swiped a career-high five steals.

“Plays are a huge part of our offense,” Ball said. “I think as a point guard communication is a major factor. Having everybody focused and having everybody on the same page with everything.”

“I know personally I've been playing with Lizzy for three years and whether she started or played 10 minutes, I always look up to her,” Carey said. “She's my point guard…as a point guard it's her job to lead us and I think she did an amazing job today.”

Ball got her day started quickly by picking up three assists in the first four minutes of the game, leading Fairfield's (4-5, 0-2 MAAC) 11-5 start and an eventual 24-15 first quarter lead. Carey was the scoring weapon in the first period, knocking down six of her first seven shots and finished the first quarter with 12 points.

“I think the girls got confidence because we shot the ball well early and I think that was really, really important,” Head Coach Joe Frager said. “They got their legs under them when they were able to knock those shots down.”

Fairfield's lead stretched out to as many as 15 on five-straight points from Helena Orts at the 5:24 mark in the second quarter. The Stags would take a 37-25 lead into halftime.

IPFW (4-7, 0-0 Summit) was able to cut the deficit to just two after a Kamilah Carter 3-pointer made the score 53-51 with 7:09 remaining in the fourth.

But the Stags would never give up that lead. Fairfield would go on a 15-2 run with Miller scoring six of her season-high 10 points during the stretch. Smith also stepped up in the second half scoring 11 points and seven rebounds in the final 20 minutes.

Carey led the Stags offensively with 19 points on 9-for-15 shooting. Smith had a team-high nine boards and went 5-for-7 from the line.

For the Mastodons, Carter led everyone with 21 points and Keanna Gary grabbed 15 rebounds.

Ball became the first Stag since Felicia DaCruz in 2014 to dish out 10 or more assists in a game. The senior also became the first Stag in four years to swipe five steals in a game (Taryn Johnson on Feb. 19, 2011 against Loyola).

All with one turnover.

“I'm just so happy,” Ball said with a laugh. “There's nothing else I can say…Obviously it gives us a ton of confidence, I'm ready for practice tomorrow and then St. John's.”

“It is huge, it was very important for us to get a win today,” Frager said. “Being in a mid-major conference like we are, it all comes down to conference play. The goal all along is to keep getting better, and I thought today we got better."

The Stags will now travel to Queens, N.Y., to take on current No. 25 St. John's on Tuesday at 2pm.