FAIRFIELD, Conn. – A night that Fairfield University sports fans have been dreaming about turned into a reality as the Fairfield University Women's Basketball team opened the Leo D. Mahoney Arena with a 77-53 victory over Stonehill in the inaugural game in the on-campus arena. Andrea Hernangomez fed off the loud crowd with a career performance with 20 points, seven assists, seven rebounds, and five steals. In total, ten different players scored for the Stags as the program picked up their 700th win in school history.
 
The crowd was electric right from the opening tip and the Stags fed off that excitement on both ends of the floor. The Stags forced eight turnovers in the first quarter, helped by four from Hernangomez in just six minutes.
 
Callie Cavanaugh would convert the first field goal in the history of the Leo D. Mahoney Arena and notched four points in the opening quarter. Her layup with 1:42 left in the period gave the Stags their largest lead of the first quarter at eight with a 15-7 lead.
 
Stonehill would cut that lead to just three on a Jada Thornton 3-pointer in the third quarter to put the score at 31-28. Fairfield would answer back on the next possession with a 3-pointer by Hernangomez which was followed by a Hernangomez steal and two free throws.
 
The graduate student would swish through another 3-pointer in the final minute and Mimi Rubino beat the buzzer to give the Stags a 49-39 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
That lead would balloon to 30 points after the Stags tallied a 9-0 run and a 18-4 stretch in the fourth quarter. Nine different players entered the scoring column in the fourth quarter led by Mackenzie Daleba who notched six points on 3-for-3 shooting. As a team, the Stags shot 67 percent in the fourth as they connected on 12 of their 18 shots.
 
In the first game in their new arena, Hernangomez had one of the best games of her career, tying her personal bests with 20 points and seven assists. She shot 7-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from behind the arc.
 
Janelle Brown continued her success on defense with five more steals and now has notched 16 through four games.  
 
Fairfield will continue their homestand on Sunday when they welcome nationally-ranked Michigan to the Leo D. Mahoney Arena at 2pm. Prior to the game, the Stags will unveil their MAAC Championship banner from last year's title team.