The Fairfield University women's basketball team dropped an 87-78 triple-overtime decision to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) host Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y. on Friday night.  The loss drops the Stags to 16-7 overall and 6-6 in the league, while Iona improves to 15-8 on the year and 9-3 in MAAC action.

The beginning of the third overtime got off to a dubios start after Iona won the tip.  Megan Caskin blocked a Naeemah Ricketts shot in the paint with the shot clock at one second.  The ball fell to the ground, was collected by Ricketts and heaved back to the basket, hitting the rim, all apparently before the shot clock expired.  A Gaels offensive rebound on the second shot led to an Anna McLean basket, and a lead that they would not relinquish.

The Stags offense chose that period to struggle as well, not scoring until Sabra Wrice knocked down a three-pointer with 70 seconds left in the game, with the Stags trailing 82-73.  Iona would expand its lead to 11 points, its largest of the game, 87-76 with 12 seconds to play, and Tara Flaherty would scored with six seconds left for the final margin.

Fairfield had chances to win the game at the end of regulation and both of the first two overtime periods.  Caskin fouled with 19 seconds left in the second half, with the Stags under the limit, and forced Iona to inbound the ball at midcourt.  The Gaels, out of timeouts, were unable to inbound the ball against the Stags defensive pressure and turned the ball over after a five-second violation.  Fairfield however was unable to get off a shot in the final seconds of regulation, going to overtime with the score, 59-59.

Baendu Lowenthal hit a free throw for the first points of the overtime period, before iona scored five straight points to take a 64-60 lead with 2:31 to play.  Lauren Groom knocked down a jumper with 2:16 to play and Lowenthal tied the score with a jumper in the paint with 31 seconds left, 64-64.  Again the Stags defense forced a missed Iona shot in the waning seconds, leading to a nearly three-quarter shot heave from Wrice, which hit high on the backboard as the horn sounded, with the score 64-64.

The second overtime began with a Wrice three-pointer, but Iona answered to knot the score at 69-69 with 2:26 to play.  Lowenthal scored with 2:01 left int he game, but Lauren DeFalco knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:14 left for the fourt tie of overtime.  Lowenthal again gave the Stags the lead with 10 seconds to play, but Thazine Cook made a lay-up with four second left to tie it once again.  Wrice again had a half court shot at the buzzer, this one hitting the inside back of the rim, before bounding harmlessly away.

Wrice finished the game as the leading scorer, with 21 points, to go along with seven rebounds and three steals, in playing 50 minutes.  Lowenthal had a double-double in the defeat, with 11 points and 12 rebounds, while also dishing out six assists.  Fairfield had four players in double-figures as Groom scored 13 and Meka Werts added 10, all coming in the first half of play.  Megan Caskin, who played 53 minutes, scored nine, had seven assists and four steals.

Fairfield shot 42.3 percent from the field for the game, but struggled at the free throw line, hitting 6-15.  Iona hit 44.1 percent from the field for the game, with an 18-23 effort at the line.  Iona out rebounded the Stags 53-38, while the Stags forced 39 Gael turnovers, while committing 28.

Fairfield led by as many as 17 points in the first half, the last time 34-17, with 3:04 remaining in the period.  Iona would finish the half with a 5-2 run to head into the lockerroom trailing 36-24.  The Stags led by 15 points twice early in the second half, but saw the lead cut to three, 50-47 with 7:58 to play.  The Stags repsonded at that point with a 7-0 run to push the lead back to double-digits, 57- 5:24 to play, but saw that lead disappear over the next four minutes, as Iona tied the scored 59-59 with 1:06 left in the game.

Iona was led by the 20-point, 10-steal effort of Cooki.  McLean had a double-double as well, with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while DeFalco scored 17 points.

The Stags are back in action on Sunday, Feb. 10 when they host Manhattan at the Arena at Harbor Yard.  Tip-off for that game, the first of the Stags final three home games, is set for 1 p.m.