HAMDEN, Conn. – The Fairfield University Women's Basketball team erased a 19-point deficit to take the lead in the second half, but would end up falling short with a 72-65 setback at Quinnipiac. The loss snaps Fairfield's 42-game winning streak against MAAC foes and drops their overall record to 25-4. Fairfield will still be the top-overall seed in the upcoming MAAC Championships held in Atlantic City, N.J.
 
"We have to have a better start than that," Head Coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis said. "I thought we came out a little bit glassy eyed and just not ready to go. I'm really proud of our fighting in the second quarter and how we brought it back to be a game."
 
The Stags (25-4; 19-1 MAAC) out-scored Quinnipiac 58-49 in the final three quarters, but they dug themselves too deep of a hole trailing by 16 after the first 10 minutes. Quinnipiac led by as many as 19 in the final minute of the first quarter. Kendall McGruder connected on a 3-pointer to stop a 21-2 run and close out the first period.
 
Fairfield showed their fight in the second quarter by amassing a 12-2 run starting with a Raiana Brown 3-pointer. Brown would score nine points during the run while Sydni Scott drained a big 3-pointer to force a Quinnipiac timeout.
 
The Stags cut that deficit to just one possession in the next three minutes with Meghan Andersen posting six points during a 13-4 run that was started by a Lauren Beach corner three.
 
Fairfield opened up the second half by scoring the first seven points and take a one-point lead. Andersen got the steal and fast break layup to give Fairfield their first lead of the day.
 
The Stags trailed by just one going into the final quarter after a pair of Emina Selimovic free throws. The Stags would take their final lead of the night as Izabela Nicoletti-Leite knocked down two free throws to put the score at 56-55.
 
The Fairfield offense could not find that big bucket however as they were held without a field goal for nine minutes, a stretch that was ended by an Andersen 3-pointer with 24 seconds left.
 
Andersen led the Stags with 21 points going 9-for-15 from the field. With their top-overall seed, the Stags will take on the winner of No. 8 Manhattan and No. 9 Canisius in the Quarterfinals of the MAAC Championships on Wednesday at noon at Jim Whalen Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.