Box Score NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Fairfield cut into a Niagara lead several times in the second half, and season-highs by Felicia DaCruz and Margeaux Dupuy were not enough as the Stags fell to Niagara 66-56 on the road. The Stags who trailed by as many as 15 cut the deficit to four after a Casey Smith layup, with 10 minutes to play, and trailed by six with under four minutes left. The loss is just Fairfield's second against the Purple Eagles at the Gallagher Center since 2006.
Fairfield (10-13, 9-5 MAAC) could not find much success inside the paint like they did against Canisius against the taller Purple Eagles (10-13, 6-8 MAAC) all game long.
Kristin Schatzlein nailed the first field goal for the Stags outside the arc with 16:27 in the first half to cut Niagara's lead to 6-5.
Although their shots weren't going down inside the lane, Fairfield found ways to get on the board, by getting to the free throw line and converting those opportunities. After one of their best shooting performances from the charity stripe against the Griffs (16-19), Fairfield hit their first four free throw attempts in the game.
Niagara would use their size advantage (coming in as the best rebounding team in the MAAC) and grab 10 of the first 13 rebounds in the contest, and out-rebound Fairfield 21-9 in the first half (the same rebounding margin the two teams had during their first meeting in January).
The duo of Victoria Rampado and Meghan McGuinness combined for 23 of Niagara's 33 points in the first half, with McGuinness not missing a shot in the stanza (5-5, 3-3 from three).
Schatzlein would try and keep the Stags in the game by knocking down three shots she took from the field, including two from behind the arc in the first half. The Stags went into the locker room trailing 33-21.
The Stags came out with more energy in the second half, not allowing a Niagara point for two minutes to open the stanza. A Samantha Cooper 3-pointer with 16:45 left in the game put the Niagara advantage to 35-24.
That started the first comeback.
Fairfield would cut the deficit to single digits when DaCruz, who had her best offensive game of the season, nailed a jumper to make the Niagara lead 42-33. That basket marked a run where DaCruz had six of Fairfield's nine points during that span.
The only other Stag to score during that run was Dupuy who hit two 3-pointers, including a long range shot which made the score 44-38, and Smith followed with her first field goal of the game to cut the Niagara lead to four with 10 minutes to play.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Rampado would stretch the lead back to double figures again.
The Stags made one final push.
Dupuy hit her third 3-pointer and Kelsey Carey grabbed an offensive board and converted the layup to put the Stags down 53-47 with under four minutes to go, but it was not enough.
In the game, Schatzlein led the Stags for the 11th time this season with 13 points, her fourth straight double digit scoring effort and the 17th this season. DaCruz had a season-high 11 points, while Dupuy also had a season-high nine points, shooting 3-4 from behind the arc.
DaCruz also had five assists, and moves into sole possession of 11th place on Fairfield's list of career assists, and is 20 shy from cracking the top-10.
The Stags had another good passing outing against the Purple Eagles with 19 assists and just six turnovers. That line was very similar to the first meeting between the two squads when the Stags had 19 assists on five miscues.
Casey Smith led the Stags with eight of their 21 rebounds and dished out four assists.
The Stags shot a season-high 54 percent (7-for-13) from behind the arc.
Rampado led three Niagara players with 18 points as McGuinness chipped in 17.
Fairfield will return home to take on Manhattan on Wednesday at 7pm.
