The Fairfield University women's basketball team dropped a 57-55 decision to Morgan State University in the championship game of the UNC-Asheville Tournament on Saturday afternoon.  The loss drops the Stags to 1-1 on the year, while the Lady Bears improve to 2-0.

"You have to give credit to Morgan State," said second-year head coach Joe Frager.  "They got down in the first half and were able to make big shots when they had to.  We had three good looks in the final minute, but were not able to convert."

Desiree Pina finished as the Stags leading scorer tallying 14 points, her second double-digit effort in as many games as a collegiate player.  She shot 4-9 from the field, while hitting 2-3 from behind the arc and going 4-4 at the line.

Baendu Lowenthal scored in double-digits for the second time as well, scoring 10 points, and was two rebounds shy of a double-double.  The senior also added four assists and two blocked shots.  Megan Caskin also just missed a double-double for the Stags, with a season-high nine assists and nine rebounds.  She added two points and a blocked shot as well.

The Stags would lead by as many as a dozen points twice in the first half, the last time, a 27-15 advantage, with 4:13 to play in the half, on a Taryn Johnson basket.  Morgan State would close the half with a 7-4 run to cut the Fairfield advantage to 31-22 at the intermission.

The Lady Bears continued the run in the second half, with the first three points of the second-half, and holding the Stags scoreless for nearly three minutes.  Sarah Paulus got the three points back with a conventional three-point play at the 17:21 mark to make it 34-25.  Desiree Pina hit a three-pointer with 13:18 to play in the half to give the Stags an eight-point edge, 37-29.

Morgan State scored eight of the next 10 points to get within two points, 39-37, with 11:57 to play in the second half.  Tara Flaherty would answer with back-to-back field goals to push the Stags lead to 43-37 with 10:55 to play, but the Stags would not score for over three minutes.  In the interim Morgan State would score eight unanswered points, including a three-pointer from Corin Adams with 7:41 to play, and give the Lady Bears their first lead, 45-43.  Flaherty knocked down a pair of free throws to end the scoreless stretch with 7:31 to play to tie the game at 45-45.

The Lady Bears scored on the next possession and led for the next two possessions until Desiree Pina put home a shot for the 47-47 tie.  Flaherty blocked Erin Hawkins shot the next time down the floor, and came back up and put the Stags ahead, 49-47, with a foul line jumper with 5:27 to play in the game.

Johnson would tie the score, 51-51 with 3:49 to play, hitting a pair of free throws.  Pina would do the same, tying the game 53-53, with 2:51 to play.  Pina gave the Stags their final lead, 55-45, with a 15-footer, with 1:34 to play.  Adams put Morgan State ahead for good with 68 second to play, with a left-handed lay-up.

Fairfield shot 42.6 percent from the field for the game, hitting 20-47 for the day, while doing 4-9 from behind the arc.  The Stags hit each of their last four free throws to finish at 68.8 percent, 11-16, for the afternoon.  The Stags had 19 turnovers in the game, with six blocked shots and just two steals.

Flaherty scored all of her eight points in the second half, shooting 3-5 from the field and 2-2 at the line.  Stephanie Geehan finished with eight boards, four points, two blocks and a steal.

The Stags return to action on Monday, Nov. 17, when they open the home portion of the schedule, hosting Villanova at the Arena at Harbor Yard.