Albany, NY - Fairfield advanced to the Women's Championship Game for the first time since 2001 with a 61-57 victory over second-seeded Iona at the 2010 Citizens Bank MAAC Basketball Championships. The Stags will meet the winner of the Marist-Niagara semifinal on Sunday, March 7 at noon. The game can be seen live on MSG.
In a game that featured 10 ties and nine lead changes, Iona got within two points, 45-43 with 10:48 to play in the game. The Stags defense did not allow Iona another point for nearly 7:30, forcing the Gaels to 0-9 from the field with three turnovers in the stretch. The Stags were able to stretch their lead to eight point, 51-43 (4:47), on a Stephanie Geehan basket and back-to-back hoops in the paint by Katelyn Linney, the largest lead of the game for either team.
Thazina Cook ended the Gael drought with 3:20 to play, starting a mini run, and cutting the deficit to four points. The Gaels closed back within two points with 41 seconds to play on another Cook basket, as she scored six straight Iona points. With the Stags leading 53-51, Desiree Pina hit 1-2 free throws with 27 seconds to play. After an Iona turnover, Geehan missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but Joelle Nawrocki corralled an offensive rebound. She knocked down both of her free throws with 21 second remaining for a 55-51 advantage.
Suzi Fregosi drove to the basket with 16 seconds to play, making the score 56-53. This time Iona fouled Linney, who hit 1-2 with 14 seconds remaining, for a 57-53 edge. Cook was fouled as she made a basket with nine seconds left, but missed the ensuing free throw, leaving the score 57-55 Stags. Geehan hit her two free throws with eight seconds to play, and after another Fregosi basket with a second to play, Linney sealed the win, with two final free throws.
Geehan shot 6-9 from the floor in the second-half, after not making a field goal in the first-period, to finish with a team-high 16 points. Pina finished with 15 points, with a 2-3 effort from behind the arc, as well as five rebounds and two assists. Taryn Johnson scored all eight of her points the first-half, but pulled in a game-high and career-best equaling 13 rebounds. Linney tallied nine points and Tara Flaherty added eight points and seven rebounds.
Fairfield shot 43.4 percent from the floor in the game, hitting 23-53, and 3-9 from behind the arc. The Stags were good on 12-16 from the free throw line. Iona hit 34.8 percent from the field, hitting 3-16 from behind the arc and 6-11 at the free throw line. The Stags out rebounded Iona 22-14 in the second-half, and 42-39 for the game. Fairfield had 14 assists and 17 turnovers, blocking six shots and recording seven steals. Iona had 11 assists, 13 turnovers, while recording nine steals and two blocked shots.
Iona jumped out to its largest lead of the game just 67 seconds into the game as Cook and Kristina Ford drained three-pointers. The Stags rattled of the next eight points, over a 3:24 stretch to take their first lead of the contest, 8-6, with 15:06 to play. The game remained close the remainder of the half, with the Stags leading by as many as four points, 18-14 on a Nawrocki three-pointer with 8:52 remaining. Iona scored the next seven points, taking a three-point edge, 21-18 with 6:59 remaining in the contest. Fairfield answered with a 4-0 run of its won, and the team's went into the intermission tied 29-29.
Iona led by two points, three times in the opening minutes of the second-half, the last time at 35-33, but could never extend the lead. Fairfield scored six straight points from that point, to take a 39-35 advantage. Iona rallied back to tie the score, 39-39 with 13:31 remaining, before Linney and Flaherty made back-to-back baskets, for a four-point edge 43-39, with 12:19 left. Pina hit a pair of free throws with 11:00 to play, giving Fairfield a 45-41 lead, before Milicia Paligoric scored with 10:48 left in the half, to get back within two points, and setting up the Stags defensive effort.