The Fairfield University women's basketball team dropped a 55-44 decision to visiting Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foe Marist College at Alumni Hall Sunday afternoon.  The Stags fall to 6-3 on the year, and 0-2 in league play, while the Red Foxes improved to 10-1 on the year and 2-0 in conference action.

The first half featured three lead changes and two ties as the Stags led early, 2-0, 53 seconds into the game, and 7-6 on a Sabra Wrice three-pointer with 13:44 to play in the half.  The Red Foxes answered that basket 59 seconds later with a Sara Smrdel three-pointer to take a 9-7 lead that they would not relinquish.  The Red Foxes pushed the advantage to as many as 10 points in the first half, 24-14 with 3:52 to play, and led the Stags by eight, 26-18 at the intermission.

Marist scored four of the first five points in the second half, to take an 11-point lead, 30-19, 2:30 into the half.  Wrice scored the next five points to get Fairfield to back within six points, 30-24, with 15:13 to play, but the Stags would get no closer.  The Marist lead see-sawed around double-digits over the next minutes, as the Red Foxes managed to pull to the largest lead of the game, 48-34 with 6:50 remaining. 

The Stags made a mini-run at that point started by a Megan Caskin jumper with 6:28 to play.  Caskin knocked home a pair of free throws 56 seconds later, which were answered by two free throws from Nikki Flores.  Caskin hit again from just inside the three-point line with 4:38 to play, and the 8-2 run was capped by a Baendu Lowenthal jumper with 2:30 left, and the Stags down 50-42.  Marist snapped the run with five unanswered points to put the game out of reach.

Wrice led all scorers with 18 points and was joined in double-digits by Lowenthal, who scored all 11 of her points in the second half after playing just six minutes in the first half with foul trouble.  Lowenthal has seven boards in the game, while Stephanie Geehan posted a game-high 12 rebounds, her fourth double-digit effort in the first nine games.  Caskin has six points, two assists and two steals.

For the first time in three games the Stags returned to out rebounding their foes, winning that battle 42-25, including 21-4 on the offensive glass.  The Stags shot 30 percent from the floor, hitting on 18-60, but were just 2-15 from behind the arc.  Marist finished the game shooting 45.5 percent from the field, going 4-13 from behind the arc.  Fairfield was 6-10 at the free throw line; the Red Foxes were 11-13.

Marist received an 18-point effort from Rachele Fitz, who was 7-10 from the field, with two assists.  Flores finished with 14 points and six rebounds. 

The Stags are back in action on Tuesday as they play their third game in five days, hosting Boston College.  The game, to be played at the Arena at Harbor Yard, will tip-off at 7:30 p.m.  Fans who can't make the game can watch the live video stream from B2 Networks, at www.fairfieldstags.com/multimedia.