NORTH EASTON, Mass. – The Fairfield University Women's Basketball team closed out the 2023 calendar year with a convincing 72-49 victory over Stonehill, marking their eighth-straight win. The Stags, who entered the game ranked No. 18 in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll, improved their record to 10-1 while winning their eighth non-conference game. It is the most non-conference victories for the Stags since the 2007-08 season.

"While we didn't have the best start to the game, it was great to see us come out of halftime and ramp up our intensity on both ends and come away with a comfortable win," Head Coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis said. "We know we need to tighten some things up as we play two excellent MAAC teams this upcoming week. We will take the next few days to prepare for what is sure to be two challenging games."
 
Road Runners Meghan Andersen and Mackenzie Daleba paced the offense by combining for 31 points on 12-for-19 shooting. The five-time MAAC Rookie of the Week, Andersen led the team with 17 points, reaching double-figures for the fifth-straight game. Daleba would tally a season-high 14 points, connecting on six of her eight nine attempts, while also swatting a career-high three blocks in just 12 minutes.
 
The Stags led wire-to-wire holding the lead for 39 minutes of action and leading by as many as 28 in the fourth quarter.
 
Fairfield netted 20 points in the second quarter to get a sizeable breathing room by swishing through three-straight 3-pointers coming from Kendall McGruder, Kaety L'Amoreaux, and Andersen. The Stags would connect on four of their five long-range attempts in the second quarter led by a pair from L'Amoreaux.
 
In total, the Stags shot 62 percent in the second quarter. Fairfield would also tally a 58 percent shooting clip to clinch the win in the fourth.
 
Nine different Stags got into the scoring column as the squad recorded 25 bench points, led by Daleba's season-high 14. Twelve of those points came in the second half, including a 3-for-4 shooting performance in the final quarter.
 
Izabela Nicoletti-Leite would orchestrate the offense with a game-high seven assists.
 
Fairfield forced 21 turnovers while swiping 13 steals. Janelle Brown led the defensive charge with four steals while Andersen, Daleba, and Emina Selimovic each recorded a pair.
 
The Stags will turn the page on 2023 and embark on their annual Western New York swing, starting with a early tip-off against Niagara on Thursday, Jan. 4 at 11am.