ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – The Fairfield University Women's Basketball team secured their spot in the MAAC Championship Game for the first time in 10 years with a dominant 75-38 performance, but after the game it was all business.
 
"We're very happy but we all said to each other that there's one more win to get," Lou Lopez-Senechal said. "There are really good teams left and we know it's going to be a big game. We're just remaining focused."
 
"I think we've been extremely focused all year," Callie Cavanaugh said. "I think we just want one thing and that's a championship. Whether we just had a big win or a loss we just have that championship in mind."
 
The Stags were on their heels for the first few minutes of the game, with Niagara jumping out to a 11-7 lead. Sydney Lowery changed the momentum as she went on a personal 8-0 run to close out the quarter, including two big 3-pointers to give the Stags a two-point lead after 10 minutes.
 
Fairfield's big quarter came in the second as they outscored the Purple Eagles 15-2 in the period and limiting one of the MAAC's best offense to 1-for-10 shooting. The Stags were struggling shooting in the quarter, as well, until Lopez-Senechal connected on three-straight 3-pointers including one that beat the halftime buzzer and gave Fairfield a 28-13 lead into the locker room.
 
After tying their season-high with 42 points in the second half in the MAAC Quarterfinals, the Stags topped that number by tallying 47 second half points, the most in any half this season. Fairfield would close out the third quarter on an 11-2 run to go up 19. Cavanuagh tallied seven of those points, including a traditional 3-point play.
 
Seven different Stags tallied points in the fourth quarter with Sam Lewis going a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range. Jazmine Carter capped the game by swishing through a jumper to account for her first collegiate points.
 
Lopez-Senechal and Lowery tied for the team-high with 14 points. Lopez-Senechal tallied her 563rd point of the season, moving her to third on the program's single season list. Her 563 points in the most by any Stag since Gail Strumpf-Cheney in 2000.
 
Hakes, once again, led the passing attack for the Stags as she finished with a season-high 12 assists. She also became the tenth Stag in program history to eclipse the 400-assist milestone. Her 171 helpers this season ranks seventh on the single season list.
 
Cavanaugh was the other Stag in double figures with 12 points while Andrea Hernangomez recorded her tenth double-digit rebounding game of the year with 10 boards.
 
The Stags will be making their first appearance in the MAAC Championship game since 2012 and the third time under Head Coach Joe Frager. Fairfield will be looking for their first MAAC Championship since 1998 and will take on the winner of No. 2 Quinnipiac and No. 3 Manhattan on Saturday morning at 11am.