NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The Stags were able to go toe-to-toe with Iona's high pressure defense for the first 20 minutes of the game, but the quick and suffocating Gaels defense was able to outlast the Stags as Iona forced 17 turnovers and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds en-route to a 69-53 Iona win at the Hynes Athletic Center.

The Stags (16-12, 11-8 MAAC) played to the pace of that 'run-and-gun' Gaels (20-10, 16-3 MAAC) to open up the contest as four of the first 10 points for Fairfield came on the fast break. It took just six minutes for all five starters to score for the Stags which was capped by a Lizzy Ball jumper with her foot on the 3-point arc.

After an Aaliyah Robinson 3-pointer cut the Stags lead to 16-14, Casey Smith finished the scoring in the first quarter, banking in a long two-pointer from the top of the key to give the Stags an 18-14 lead.

The second quarter featured runs by both sides with the Stags leading by as many as five points, but the Gaels had the final run, scoring the final four points of the half to take a 33-30 lead into the locker room.

The Stags defense, who came into the game leading the MAAC allowing just 57.1 points per game, gave the team a chance to build a second quarter lead holding the Gaels without a field goal for nearly 7:30 midway through the second quarter. That drought accounted for an 8-0 Stags run, which gave them that five point lead.

But Iona started to turn up the defensive tempo during the final stretch, forcing a bad stretch for the Stags over the final two minutes of the half. Fairfield recorded two turnovers, allowed two Iona offensive rebounds, and committed two fouls. The Stags actually did not attempt a shot for the final 2:02 of the frame.

Besides the final stretch, the first half was typical Fairfield basketball as the Stags assisted on their first 12 baskets. Ball led the offense with eight assists on just one turnover during the first 20 minutes. Smith led all scorers during that span with 10 points, the 13th-straight game she has tallied at least nine points.

The Stags also did nice job offensively against arguably the best player in the MAAC in Joy Adams, who did not record a point during the first half.

However, the defensive pressure that forced the Stags to struggle at the end of the first half continued to give them trouble in the second half. Fairfield did not score for nearly six minutes until a Smith layup ended that at the 5:40 mark. The Gaels took advantage by hitting three-straight shots to open up a nine-point lead.

Iona's defense did not let up a bit, causing the Stags to get out of their rhythm. The Stags would be out-scored 22-11 in the third quarter, capped off by a 20-foot 3-pointer by Robinson with three seconds left in the frame.

Besides the turnovers, the quickness of the Gaels was also shown on the glass with 16 offensive rebounds, compared to three for the Stags.

For the game, the Stags were led by Smith who had a game-high 16 points and Ball tied a career-high with 10 assists on just two turnovers.

The Gaels used a balanced scoring effort with four players in double figures led by Lizarazu with 16 points and six assists. Adams led everyone with 15 rebounds to go along with eight points, and six assists.

The Stags will close out their regular season with a road game at Quinnipiac on Friday at 5pm.