WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Samantha Cooper recorded her second-straight double-double and the 26th of her career by leading the Stags with 16 points and 13 rebounds, but it was not enough as the Fairfield University Women's Basketball team recorded 21 turnovers and fell 57-47 at William & Mary. The Tribe were able to erase Fairfield's three point halftime lead with a 16-4 run in the third quarter.
 
The Stags (0-2) were playing comeback for most of the game, but were able to put together a 9-2 run in the first quarter after their first called timeout to tie the game. The Tribe built a 10-3 lead to start the game. Cooper scored seven of the team's 12 points in the first period to also go along with a team-high three rebounds. The Tribe would take the lead after the first quarter when Victoria Reynolds broke the tie with a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left.
 
The Tribe (2-0) started off the second quarter on a similar run, scoring nine of the first 13 points of the period to take a 23-16 lead. Eight of those points came in the paint as the Stags struggled with fouls, committing four in the first six minutes. One of those fouls was charged to Khadidiatou Diouf, which was her second of the game, and forced the Stags to play without one of their biggest post presence.
 
Without their post presence, the Stags found success from the outside by knocking down four-straight 3-point attempts. Sam Kramer got the run started with a long range shot from the top of the key. Sam Lewis followed suit by hitting her first career 3-pointer, an off-balanced shot from the corner. Kristen McLaughlin would give the Stags their first lead of the day with a 3-pointer from the top of the key and Kramer ended the run with another three. Those shots helped erase an eight-point deficit as the Stags ended the half on a 14-3 run to take a 30-27 lead into halftime.
 
For the third-straight quarter, the Tribe got the better of the Stags in the early going, scoring nine of the first 11 points including the first seven to open the half. That run helped them retake the lead at 36-32 midway through the third. The Stags tried to shift the momentum after a couple of pure hustle plays. After the Tribe grabbed an offensive rebound, Casey Foley grabbed the ball out of the hands of the Tribe post player and the two fell to the ground forcing a jump ball and giving the possession to the Stags. Fairfield would miss their shot in the ensuing possession, but Macey Hollenshead chased the ball down the baseline and hit the ball off a Tribe player giving the Stags another possession. Diouf would convert the opportunity with a layup, cutting the deficit to three.
 
However, the Stags could not grab the momentum as that would be the final points for the Stags in the third period and the Tribe would grab a 43-34 lead going into the final period.
 
Fairfield would get within four in the final quarter after Lewis hit her second 3-pointer of the game about a foot behind the 3-point arc. That would be the closest for the Stags as Nari Gardner would hit a 3-pointer forcing a Fairfield timeout.
 
Cooper would grab three rebounds in the third quarter, completing her second-straight double-double and the 26th of her career. She would end the game leading all players with 16 points and tying a game-high with 13 rebounds. She would also finish with three steals, one shy of a career-high.
 
All three Sams contributed in the game. Aside from Cooper, Kramer had the best shooting night of her career, tying a career-high for the second-straight game with three 3-pointers on seven attempts. Lewis also took a big step forward with career-highs in points (six), rebounds (three), blocks (two), and steals (two). Casey Foley, the team's leader in assists last season, once again led the Stags in assists with seven.
 
For the Tribe, Abby Rendle a preseason CAA Second Team selection notched a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds and Bianca Boggs led the team with 12 points.
 
The Stags will stay on the road when they visit Northeastern on Friday night at 7pm.