FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Whatever the Fairfield University women's basketball team had to do to win on Sunday they did it. Whether it was create a defensive intensity to hold Iona to 17 first half points, control the boards, or make clutch shots, the Stags were resilient and were rewarded for their efforts with a 68-59 victory against the reigning conference champions Iona.

“Going into this game we really zoned into the scout and made sure we paid attention in practice,” junior guard Macey Hollenshead said. “We really harped on the fact that if we wanted to win this game it was going to have to be with all five starters and the bench. We played lock down defense and that gave us the win.”

The reason why that defensive energy was the difference of the game was because it allowed the Stags to control every aspect of the game early. Fairfield (4-4, 1-1 MAAC) limited a dangerous Iona (4-4, 1-1 MAAC) offense to just six first half field goals and 17 points during the first half.

The Gaels were actually the first team to score when Karynda DuPree got her own rebound and finished the layup 45 seconds into the game. After Casey Smith tied the game one minute later, Kristen McLaughlin, who started her first game of the season, hit a 3-pointer at the 6:59 mark of the first quarter to give the Stags a 5-2 lead.

The Stags would keep that lead for the rest of the game, extending that advantage to as much as 13 points late in the second quarter. The Gaels, who entered the game shooting 42 percent from the field, connected on just six of their first 29 shots for a .207 shooting clip.

“I was happy because we stuck to the scouting report on how we wanted to guard some of their actions,” Head Coach Joe Frager said. “Fortunately for us when Iona did get open, they weren't shooting the ball well. I think it was a combination of our defense and they came out a little bit cold.”

As Coach Frager and the rest of the Stags knew, the Gaels were going to make a run. After all, they had the poise to win the conference title last season. And Iona did make that run in the second half by scoring 42 points, just one point shy of their highest scoring half of the season.

But the Stags showed poise as well. Whenever the Gaels hit a shot, the Stags answered right back. Fairfield would score 43 points in the second half, which was by far the highest total of the season. To do so, the Stags had to shoot 63 percent (15-for-24) from the floor, their highest scoring percentage in a half since November 21 of last season against Sacred Heart.

The Gaels cut the deficit to five on a couple of occasions in the fourth quarter. Alexis Lewis hit a 3-pointer to make the score 53-48 with 5:49 left in the game, but Fairfield answered with guard Casey Foley connecting on her only shot attempt of the game, a 3-pointer which brought the advantage back to eight.

Iona would bring the game back to five points on a 3-pointer by Tilasha Okey-Williams but once again, the Stags cam up clutch with Macey Hollenshead connecting on a long range shot of her own and the Stags never looked back.

Three Stag players scored in double figures with Smith leading all scorers with 21 points. Kelsey Carey entered the double digit scoring column for the eighth-straight game, the longest Stag streak to begin a season since Stephanie Geehan recorded 11-straight during the 2009-10 season. Carey also hauled in a career and game-high 12 rebounds, marking her second career double-double.

All of that offense was run through the guards who combined for 16 assists on just three turnovers. Hollenshead and Foley led the team with five dishes apiece and Kendra Landy chipped in four assists.

The unanimous MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Marina Lizarazu led the Gaels with 20 points including 11 in the fourth quarter. DuPree was behind her with 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Lewis, who came into the contest scoring 20 or more points in four-straight games, was held to five points on 2-for-11 from the floor.

Fairfield will now turn their attention back to the non-conference schedule for a trip to Albany to take on the five-time defending America East champions Great Danes on Tuesday at 7pm.