PHILADELPHIA, Pa. –The Stags were able to shut down La Salle's leading scorer Amy Griffin for the first 14 minutes of the game, but when the Explorers needed their star player, she stepped up. Griffin scored four-straight points in a tie game with under five minutes to play and the Stags could not cut into that deficit as the Stags dropped a 68-61 decision to La Salle on the road.
Griffin's individual performance mirrored that of her team, as La Salle scored 41 points in the 16 minutes after Griffin finally got on the board in the second quarter.
What will not be remembered in this game was the production the Stags had shooting the ball. Fairfield hit seven of their first 10 shots from behind the arc, including one from Macey Hollenshead to tie the game going into the fourth quarter and one from Samantha Cooper to give the Stags a one-point lead in the fourth quarter. For Cooper, that tied her career-high with her fourth 3-pointer of the game.
That hot shooting started right from the get-go as Casey Foley was the first Stag to energize the offensive front connecting on her first 3-point attempt, giving the Stags their first lead of the game. That shot was the catapult for Fairfield as they hit seven of their first 15 shots and led by as many as 13 points in the first half.
Cooper played arguably her best offensive game of the young season as she was a threat both inside and outside the 3-point arc. Cooper scored a game-high 12 points during the first half, while going 2-for-4 from deep. Khadidiatou Diouf also provided a spark off the bench with six points in the second quarter, including starting a 9-0 run that forced a La Salle timeout. The Stags led by as many as 13 points during the first 20 minutes.
That timeout changed the landscape of the first half.
The Fairfield defense, which is usually spot on, was as good as they have been all year during that first quarter. The Stags forced seven La Salle turnovers during that time, but the most important accomplishment was the job they did against the focal point of their scouting report. La Salle's leading scorer, Amy Griffin, entered the game scoring in double figures in all nine games and reached the 20-point mark in six contests. Griffin did not score a single point until the 6:32 mark of the second quarter.
Unfortunately for the Stags, that's when Griffin and the Explorers got hot. Griffin would score six-straight points for the home side and the Explorers tallied 19 points in the final six minutes of the frame. La Salle would grab their first lead since the opening minute of the game on a 3-pointer by Anemone Scheel but the Stags took the lead right back on a Casey Smith layup with 18 seconds remaining.
La Salle would take the lead in the third quarter as turnovers became a problem for the Stags. Micahya Owens' 3-pointer gave the Explorers a one-point lead midway through the third quarter and started an 8-0 run for La Salle. Smith stopped the run with a strong layup, but could not convert the free throw. Overall, free throw shooting was a problem for Fairfield who hit just two of their first six attempts.
The Stags were able to tie the game back up with Smith notching a layup with 1:30 left in the third quarter, but Owens and the Explorers answered right back as the senior was able to convert a traditional 3-point play to give the home side a three point lead.
As has been a staple of her young season, Macey Hollenshead would hit another clutch shot. Her 3-pointer with seconds left on the shot clock would tie the game at 50-50 setting up for a dramatic fourth quarter.
The Stags were able to tie the game with under five minute to play when Foley converted a cutting layup. But Griffin showed why she is La Salle's star player. Griffin scored the next four points, and the Stags could not get anything on the other end for the final 68-61 score.
Griffin led all scorers with 22 points while their point guard Jasmine Alston neared a triple double with 12 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
Cooper was the team leader with 18 points including a 4-for-7 showing from behind the arc while Smith chipped in 15.
The Stags will take 12 days off to focus on final exams before returning to Philadelphia, Pa., for a meeting with Temple on December 22, at 2pm.
