FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Sydney Faulcon hit the game-tying buzzer-beating field goal to force overtime and Niagara out-scored the Fairfield University Women's Basketball team 12-4 in the extra period to take a 70-62 decision over the Stags on Kids' Day Out.
The loud and energetic crowd consisting of over 2,400 local school kids from 17 different schools helped the Stags mount a comeback in the second half. The Stags trailed by 12 midway through the third quarter but would battle back with an 11-4 run to end the period.
Janelle Brown would start that comeback with a traditional 3-point play and followed with two more free throws on the next possession.
Callie Cavanaugh knocked in back-to-back buckets and
Mimi Rubino finished the period with a pair of free throws to put the score at 46-41 entering the final quarter.
The Stags would battle all the way back, tying the game and taking the lead on a Cavanaugh 3-point play at the 5:15 mark of the fourth. Brown would convert another traditional 3-point play with 1:07 to play to give Fairfield a 57-54 advantage in the final minute.
Niagara would get their final possession with just 10 seconds on the clock and after a team offensive rebound, would inbound the final with 0.9 seconds left. Fauclon would collect the ball underneath and toss it up and it would fall through the net to tie the game and beating the buzzer.
The Purple Eagles would collect the first bucket in the extra period and the Stags would shoot just 1-for-6 from the floor for the 70-62 final score.
Two Stags finished in double figures with Cavanaugh leading the way with 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Brown recorded her fifth-straight double-digit performance with 15 points and added eight rebounds. Izabela Nicoletti-Leite led the team with nine rebounds and four assists.
The Purple Eagles, who led the nation with 30 forced turnovers per game entering the contest, forced 36 Fairfield miscues on 18 steals.
The Stags are back in action when they hit the road to Pughkeepsie, N.Y., to face the Marist Red Foxes on Saturday night at 7pm.
