HAMDEN, Conn. – Tonight the shots did not fall. The three-time reigning MAAC Champions Quinnipiac tallied a 20-0 run in the second quarter as the Fairfield University Women's Basketball team went without a field goal for nearly nine minutes, and that was the difference in a 76-62 defeat at Quinnipiac. The loss is the first in the MAAC for the Stags as they fall to 6-1 in the conference.
After scoring the first basket of the game on a
Rachel Hakes jumper, the Stags would not lead for the rest of the contest. Quinnipiac came out firing by connecting on five of their first six shots from behind the arc and went 10-for-15 from the field in the opening quarter.
Despite those offensive numbers, the Stags stayed within striking distance courtesy of the play of
Lou Lopez-Senechal. The sophomore tallied 10 of the team's 18 points in the first quarter going 4-for-6 from the field. She would actually record 18 of the Stags' 27 points in the first half. She connected on a layup and then hit two free throws in a minute span to open up the second quarter, but that would be the last field goal for the Stags until
Andrea Hernangomez beat the halftime buzzer with a 3-pointer.
Quinnipiac would go on a 20-0 run during that stretch, mostly hitting free throws as the Bobcats went 23-for-24 from the charity stripe in the game.
The Stags were without Lopez-Senechal for most of that stretch as she picked up her third foul in the second quarter.
Katie Armstrong also missed five minutes in that stretch with a minor injury.
She would return in the third quarter as the Stags out-scored the Bobcats 18-17 in the third quarter and 35-27 in the second half but could not get closer than 14 in the game.
Lopez-Senechal led the Stags with her sixth 20 point game as she finished with a game-high 25 with a 10-for-11 showing from the free throw line.
Sam Kramer and Armstrong also finished in double figures, finishing with 14 points and 11 respectively.
The Stags will hit the road again when they travel to Rider for a Tuesday night contest in Lawrenceville, N.J., at 7pm.
