ALBANY, N.Y. – It's not how you start, it's how you finish. Just like the Stags' season, senior Felicia DaCruz did not start off the game shooting well. DaCruz connected on just one of her first nine shots, but the lone senior never gave up, kept shooting, and made three of her final four attempts, all in the final 14 minutes as the Stags finished off the sixth-seeded Niagara Purple Eagles 65-57 to advance to their first MAAC Semifinal since 2012.

“It's not about my mechanics, it's mostly my confidence in myself,” DaCruz said. “I just knew from experience in the last four years that if I struggle shooting the ball in the first half, they are going to start falling in the second half. I continue to believe in myself and my teammates continued to believe in me which was a confidence boost.”

“Feesh has gotten nothing but better and better over her career,” Head Coach Joe Frager said. “She did struggle shooting the ball in the beginning but it shows the character that she has. She knew she was going to get open looks and she knocked down huge shots for us.”

DaCruz's jumper at 5:02 remaining gave Fairfield (15-15) their largest lead of the second half at 55-43. However, Niagara (14-17) did not go away easily, even when their senior leading scorer Meghan McGuinness fouled out 30 seconds after. The Purple Eagles would cut the game to two with 48 seconds remaining which set up the biggest moment of the game. DaCruz made a pass inside to Kristine Miller who would finish the layup, getting fouled in the process, which made it a two possession game with 20 seconds left.

“I just used my point guard instincts,” DaCruz said. “I saw the defense was collapsing on me and found the open girl.”

It was the final of DaCruz's season-high nine assists, which puts her in a tie for ninth all-time in program history.

The decisive 17-5 run started with a layup from Samantha Cooper which broke the sixth tied scored with 11:17 remaining. Over the next six minutes, the Stags could really do no wrong. Fairfield forced two turnovers and drew two charges during that span which set up the win.

The Stags showed no jitters early in the contest as they brought the intensity on the defensive side and on the glass. Kristine Miller single-handedly disrupted Niagara by posting three steals and a block in the first nine minutes of the game.

“This game was huge coming into it,” Miller said. “We were all so prepared and so ready to battle, so I think the first five minutes we have to focus on coming out as strong as we can and by any means necessary.”

However, Miller picked up her second foul at the 11:00 mark and Niagara took advantage by scoring 20 points during that span to close out the half.

Another positive in the first 20 minutes was the rebounding. After being out-rebounded by a 21-9 margin in the first two opening periods of the series, the Stags edged Niagara 17-15 in that category after grabbing eight of the first 12 boards.

The Stags led by as many as 12 after a long Lizzy Ball jumper made the score 20-8, but Fairfield's offense quieted down and scored eight points in the final nine minutes of the period.

Taylor McKay kept Niagara in the game by scoring a game-high 11 points in the first half.

The rebounding was a theme that continued all game long. The Stags had been out-rebounded by a combined 33 points by the best rebounding team in the conference.

“They had out-rebounded us 77-44,” Frager said. “That's a lot. These guys got sick and tired of hearing about that. I was writing it wherever I could possibly write it, I came close to trying and stencil it on our foreheads all week, I don't think they would have appreciated that. They took the challenge. We had to make the hustle plays, we had to get the 50/50 balls which I think we got the majority of them tonight.”

Smith led all Fairfield scorers with 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Smith also had three assists without a turnover and extended her streak to 17-straight assists without a turnover.

Fairfield held to duo of McGuinness and Victoria Rampado to nine points, after they came into the game scoring 25 points per outing.

DaCruz led the intensity in what will not be her final game which spread to the rest of the team. Kelsey Carey has a stretch where she drew a charge, dove for a loose ball, and scored four points. All of that started with their leadership and DaCruz.

“We just really wanted to win because selfishly I want to get the opportunity to keep coaching her a little longer,” Frager said. “It's been a privilege to work with her over these last four years and I don't want that to end. I want that to go on as long as possible.”

Frager will get that opportunity when the Stags meet the second-seeded and nine-time defending MAAC Champions Marist in the semifinals on Sunday at 1:30pm.