ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Mar. 16, 2024) – The Fairfield University Stags historic season continued with the team capturing the 2024 Hercules Tires Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Women’s Basketball Championship crown on Saturday afternoon at Historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Fairfield defeated Niagara, 70-62 in overtime, to win the program’s second title in the past three seasons, and its fifth overall.
No. 1 Fairfield – 70 | No. 2 Niagara – 62
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
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No. 25 Fairfield needed overtime to take down Niagara, 70-62, in a thrilling final to the MAAC season. The nationally ranked Stags, which went a perfect 20-0 in MAAC play during the regular season, trailed the majority of the game, taking their first lead with under two minutes to play in the regulation. Niagara stormed out of the locker room with an 8-2 run, which included scoring the game’s opening layup .10 seconds into the contest. The Purple Eagles would hold a 16-10 lead after one. Niagara kept its foot on the pedal, extending its advantage to 33-22 by the half. After the Purple Eagles lead grew to 13 points in the third, the Stags battled back to pull within single-digits, by the start of the fourth. In the final quarter of regulation, Fairfield outscored Niagara 15-8, taking a 57-56 lead behind a Janelle Brown layup, with 1:50 on the clock. Fairfield would lead by two in the late stages but Angel Parker would convert on a pair of free throws to tie the game with under 30 seconds to play. Both sides missed on go-ahead opportunities; Fairfield committing a charge and Niagara failing to get a shot off before time expired, forcing an overtime period. Overtime was all Fairfield, as the Stags saved the best for last, gaining their largest lead of the day, a 10-point advantage, also putting together their best scoring run of the afternoon of nine straight points.
Fairfield Notes and Notables
- Four Stags scored in double-figures led by a game-high 15 points from Brown.
- Brown also had four rebounds, three assists, and a steal in the win.
- Kaety L’Amoreaux scored 12 points and had a team-high four assists.
- Emina Selimovic posted her second straight double-double, with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
- The fourth Stag in double figures was Izabela Nicoletti-Leite, adding 11 points.
- After a lackluster shooting performance over the first three quarters, Fairfield shot 41.7 percent and 66.7 percent in the fourth and overtime periods, respectively.
- The Stags outrebounded the Purple Eagles, 50-44, and converted 18 offensive rebounds into 21 second chance points.
- The Stags improved their record to 31-1, tying the second-most victories of any MAAC team in history, which included a perfect 23-0 mark against league opponents and a conference-record of 29 straight wins, the second-longest in the nation.
- Fairfield will find out their opponent during the NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show, which airs live on ESPN on Sunday at 8:00 p.m.
Niagara Notes and Notables
- Amelia Strong was the lone Purple Eagle in double-figures, scoring team-high 14 points, and coming up one rebound shy of a double-double, with nine boards.
- Sisters Aaliyah and Angel Parker both added an identical eight points each.
- Saige Glover pulled in a team-high 10 rebounds.
- Niagara led for 38 minutes, not surrendering the lead until the waning moments of the game.
- The Purple Eagles had more points off of turnovers (24-11), held an advantage in paint points (34-32), and had their bench outscore the Stags bench (18-16).
Brown was selected as the championship MVP. Joining her on the MAAC All-Championship Team were her teammates L’Amoreaux and Selimovic, while Strong and Angel Parker from runner-up Niagara earned spots, along with Sis Eleko of Canisius, and Ahniysha Jackson of Siena.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University will join the MAAC as full members in the 2024-25 academic year, expanding the conference to 13 institutions.
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