FAIRFIELD, Conn. – You never know which Stag is going to step up in a particular game. And that's what makes this Fairfield University Women's Basketball team so special. Tonight, it was Izabela Nicoletti-Leite who recorded her third career double-double with 18 points and a career-high 10 assists as the Stags ran past Iona 72-44 for the team's 11th-straight win. Fairfield also improves their record to 13-1, the best start in Fairfield's Division I history.
 
"I love the contributions across the board," Head Coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis said. "Obviously Iza led the way for us. I'm proud that she not only stepped up to score for us, but she also got everybody involved and distributed at an incredibly high rate. That's something she's been doing all year long and I'm proud that she's put it together with some scoring. For us we set the tone on the defensive end which allows out offense to roll. I'm proud of how we put two sides of the floor together."
 
The Stags, who entered the game as the league's top-scoring offense at 75.6 points per game, tallied 70 or more points for the tenth time this season. Combined with Quinnipiac's loss tonight, the Stags are the last remaining unbeaten team in the conference with their 5-0 record.
 
While the offense jumps out of the stat sheet, the Fairfield defense is what ignited their victory as they limited Iona to just 17 first half points, just two points shy of the lowest by a Fairfield opponent this year.
 
The Stags also held the Gaels without a 3-point field goal, the first time this season that Iona has not tallied a long-range shot.
 
That defensive effort helped the Stags to lead wire-to-wire after grabbing a commanding 34-17 lead at the half.
 
Nicoletti-Leite was at the forefront of that early success, notching 15 points through the first 20 minutes while hitting all four of her 3-point attempts.
 
"I thought she had a great trip to Buffalo," Coach Thibault-DuDonis said. "I thought she played great at Niagara and Canisius and it gives her a lot of confidence that she's a scoring force for us. It's how our team played all year long in you have to pick your poison and if you're going to take away Meg or Emina or whoever it may be, that she's confident and ready to make those shots as well."
 
She would complete her double-double with seven assists in the second half, in helping the Stags to a 58 percent shooting mark in the final 20 minutes.
 
Ten different Stags got into the scoring column led by Nicoletti-Leite's 18. Meghan Andersen reached double figures for the eighth straight game. Seven different Stags also connected on a trifecta as the team hit 13 3-pointers, one shy of a season-high.
 
Fairfield will put their 11-game winning streak, the sixth-longest in the country, on the line when they host Siena on Saturday at 2pm.