LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – The Fairfield University Women's Basketball team had one of their grittiest wins of the season as they grinded out a 64-61 double overtime win at Rider.
Janelle Brown had one of the biggest buckets of the game as her jumper broke a tie game in the final minute of the second extra period, part of a 6-1 Fairfield run to end the contest. Brown would finish with a game-high 19 points and also led all players with 11 rebounds to complete her second career double-double.
"What a gritty win!," Head Coach
Carly Thibault-DuDonis said. "I'm proud of our defensive effort down the stretch and offensive execution to get baskets when we absolutely needed them. After coming off of an overtime game Thursday, I loved our resilience, determination, and endurance throughout the game to come up with the win. We never dropped our heads, and came up with a tough fought road win!"
Brown would tally seven of her game-high 19 points in the second overtime period, including a traditional 3-point play to regain the Stags lead at the 4:10 mark.
Fairfield did not trail at all in the game until the 3:53 mark of the first overtime period when Rider started the extra frame on a 6-0 run. The Stags cut into that six-point deficit starting with a pair of
Callie Cavanaugh free throws with 1:29 to play.
The Broncs would split the free throws on their next two possessions, giving the Stags a chance to answer back, and they did.
Lauren Beach hit a huge 3-pointer to make it a one possession game inside the final minute.
Izabela Nicoletti Leite would follow with another clutch shot as her 3-pointer tied the game with 12 seconds left, eventually forcing the second overtime.
Rider looked to have the final shot of the first overtime and a chance to win the game, but Beach came up on the defensive end by drawing a charge with eight seconds left forcing the turnover.
The Stags led by as many as 13 after a Cavanaugh free throw put the score at 40-27 with 32 seconds left in regulation. Rider would close the gap with a 13-2 run, starting with a last second 3-pointer to close out the third quarter.
Three Stags finished in double figures, led by Brown's game-high 19 points. Brown also led the team in almost every category including: rebounds (11), assists (five), blocks (two), and tied for a team-best three steals.
Nicoletti-Leite also tallied a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. It is the first time that a pair of Stags have recorded double-doubles in the same game since Khadidiatou Diouf and
Lou Lopez-Senechal completed the feat on Feb. 22, 2019.
Cavanaugh also finished with 17 points and eight rebounds while going a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line and drawing two charges. She has now drawn 16 charges this season.
The Stags have now played three overtime games in the span of four contests. This season, Fairfield has played four overtime games, tying the program record for most in a season.
Fairfield will return home for back-to-back home games to end the month of January, starting with a Thursday night game against Mount St. Mary's at 7pm.
