LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – The Fairfield University Women's Basketball team dropped their first game against a MAAC opponent in 348 days as they fell to the Siena Saints 61-46 at the UHY Center in Loudonville, N.Y. The setback snapped a streak of 18-straight wins against conference foes, dating back to Jan. 22, 2022, also at the UHY Center.
 
The turning point of the game came in the second quarter after Fairfield had regained a one-point advantage after a Janelle Brown jumper put the Stags up 15-14 at the 8:35 mark. The Stags would not connect on another field goal for the rest of the half and Siena would take advantage by recording a 13-0 run before Lauren Beach snapped the scoreless streak with a free throw nearly eight minutes later. Siena would combine for a 16-1 stretch to put their advantage at 30-16 at halftime.
 
Fairfield would fight back at the start of the third quarter as a Brown 3-pointer and lay-ups from Andrea Hernangomez and Isabela Nicoletti-Leite accounted for a 7-0 run and put the Stags back within single digits.
 
The Stags would cut the deficit even closer after an 8-0 run in a three-minute span in the third quarter put Fairfield within four at 37-33. Callie Cavanaugh tallied four points in that span and Brown capped the run with a jumper in the final minute of the third quarter.
 
Siena would answer with a traditional 3-point play by Elisa Mevius and a jumper by Emina Selimovic to grab a 42-35 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
Fairfield would come as close as eight points in that final period after another Brown 3-pointer and a bucket by Nicoletti-Leite, but could not come any closer as they were out-scored 19-11 in the fourth.
 
Brown led the Stags with 16 points, her third-straight game in double figures, a stretch where she is averaging 15.7 points per game.
 
Hernangomez was the only other Stag to reach double figures with 10 points and a team-high five steals.
 
Cavanaugh tallied eight points to bring her career total to 999. She also led the team with 10 rebounds, her seventh career game with double-digit rebounds.
 
The Stags, who entered the game second in the MAAC and 54th in the nation with 19.7 turnovers forced per game, forced 27 Siena turnovers but only tallied 10 points off those miscues.
 
Fairfield will have a quick turnaround before welcoming Manhattan to the Leo D. Mahoney Arena on Saturday at 2pm.