Box Score LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Katie Armstrong hit two free throws with six seconds left in regulation to give the Stags a 62-60 lead, but Furman's Milica Manojlovic converted a game-tying scoop lay-up at the buzzer to force overtime and eventually lead to a 77-70 defeat of the Stags in the first game of the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas.
The Stags led by four with 28 seconds left after two
Casey Foley free throws, but the Stags would foul a 3-point attempt by Furman which put the Paladins down by one point. There would be two ties in the final 10 seconds of the game as Le'Jzae Davidson knotted the score with eight seconds left on a lay-up.
After leading for basically the entire first half, the Stags would trail by as many as eight points after Furman pulled off a 7-0 run late in the third quarter. It would take the Stags until the final minute of regulation to complete the comeback as Kramer connected on a 3-pointer out of a timeout to put the Stags up 56-55. Foley and Armstrong would combined for three free throws for the 59-55 advantage until Furman's heroics.
The Stags held Furman to 35 percent shooting for the game, but the Paladins were able to connect on 32 of their 42 free throw attempts.
The Stags did not trail by more than two points in the opening half after Foley connected on a 3-pointer at the 7:10 mark to give the Stags a 7-5 lead. Foley would lead the Stags through the first 20 minutes as she did not miss a shot, hitting all four of her shot attempts and all three from behind the arc.
Fairfield's biggest lead was 10 after a Armstrong lay-up made the score 17-7. The Stags would go quiet on the offensive end, not hitting a shot for six minutes which allowed Furman to get back into the game on a 7-0 run.
The Stags defense equaled the offensive energy, holding Furman to a 15 percent shooting clip (2-for-15) in the first quarter, but could not keep the Paladins off the free throw line. Furman connected on 13 free throws in the first half compared to just one for the Stags. The Paladins shot 7-for-10 in the first quarter from the charity stripe, accounting for all but five of their first period points.
Foley would put the Stags back up six points with a long-range shot with 1:45 left in the half, putting the score at 30-24. Furman would score the final four points in the half and had a chance to tie the contest before intermission but Jade Kirisome's lay-up rimmed out after a Fairfield turnover.
Diouf led the Stags with a career-high 23 points on 10-for-21 shooting. She also collected the first double-double of the season with a game-high 10 rebounds. Foley had 13 points and did not miss a shot while adding a game-high seven assists.
The Stags are back in action on Friday when they conclude play in Las Vegas against UIC at 3pm EST.
