Box Score PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Fairfield University Women's Basketball team was out-scored 39-20 in the second half, allowing the Brown Bears to rally to defeat the Stags 68-49 in the first game of the Turkey Tip-off hosted by Brown University. Fairfield had led for the entire first half, and did not trail until the 4:40 mark of the third quarter.
The Stags (2-2) showed a balanced attack through the first 10 minutes as they connected on five of their first six shots. A 3-pointer by
Sam Lewis gave the Stags a 10-2 lead and forced a Brown (4-2) timeout. Five different players entered the scoring column for the Stags, led by
Khadidiatou Diouf's nine points.
Casey Foley chipped in four points with both of her field goals coming near the end of the shot clock.
Andrea Hernangomez also helped the Stags hold the lead as she connected on her first career 3-pointer that beat the buzzer at the end of the first quarter and then swished in her second attempt, one minute into the second period, making the score 26-16 in favor of the Stags.
That shooting slowed down a bit after Hernangomez's 3-pointer as the Stags would hit just one more shot for the rest of the half, coming on a Lewis 3-pointer with 2:05 left. In total, the Stags went 2-for-11 from the field in the second quarter, with both of those shots coming from deep.
Brown would chip into the Fairfield lead with three 3-point field goals of their own, including back-to-back shots by Shayna Mehta. Two free throws by Taylor Will made the halftime score 29-27.
Fairfield would hold the lead until the 5:36 mark of the third quarter when Traiva Breedlove got the offensive rebound and put back to tie the score at 33-33. That would be the beginning of an 8-2 run for Brown that allowed them to grab a 39-35 lead before a Fairfield timeout.
Sam Kramer would stop the run out of the break with a 3-pointer to put the Stags within a point, but the Bears would answer with seven-straight points started by a Taylor Will 3-pointer.
By shooting 42 percent in the third period, the Bears were able to grab their largest lead at 47-40 heading into the fourth.
The Stags, who entered the game sixth in the nation in points allowed per game, surrendered a season-high 68 against the Bears.
Diouf led the Stags with 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the floor and also hauled in a game-high nine rebounds. Lewis tied her career-high with 11 points and also added a career-high seven rebounds. Foley dished out a team-high five assists.
Fairfield is back in action on Saturday at 4pm as they take on Bucknell in the second day of the Turkey Tip-off.
