The Fairfield University women's basketball team opened Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play on the road on Friday with a 46-38 win at Saint Peter's College.  The Stags improve to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in the league, while the Peahens fall to 2-3 on the year and 0-1 in MAAC play.

Baendu Lowenthal scored 14 points in the contest, hitting 6-10 from the field, and had her second double-double of the season with a career-high 16 rebounds.  Stephanie Geehan also had a career-high in the game, blocking eight shots.

Fairfield struggled at the free throw line, hitting 13-29 for the game, but knocked down five of the last six chances in the final 30 seconds of play to get over the top. 

The second half was one of runs with the Stags second run of the half putting them ahead for good.  Saint Peter's tied the score with a pair of free throws to open the half, 19-19, but the Stags answered with a 9-0 run.  Desiree Pina started the run with a three-pointer from the wing, and then Geehan, Lowenthal and Shireyll Moore each made a lay-up, in a 90 second span, to open the 28-19 lead.  The Stags made three defensive stops to key the run, including a blocked shot from Pina and Geehan.

The Stags would go into a scoring drought of six minutes, during which time the Peahens scored nine straight to tie the score at 28-28.  Lowenthal ended the drought with a driving layup with 10:08 to play to put the Stags back ahead, 30-28.  Neither team scored over the next three minutes, until Lowenthal put home another driving layup, for the four-point advantage.  Moore made the lead seven, 36-29 with a driving layup with 5:53 left in the game.

The Peahens would score the next five points, to get to within four, 38-34 with 4:29 to play, but would get no closer.  Lowenthal put in a pass from Geehan at 2:19 for the 40-34 advantage, to end the Stags drought.

Moore finished the game with 15 points, tops of all players, hitting 5-9 from the field.  Lowenthal continued her double-digit stretch with 10 points, eight in the second half of play.  Geehan added seven points, as did Pina. 

The Stags were strong defensively in the first-half, forcing 14 turnovers, recording six steals, and taking a 19-17 lead into the intermission.  Fairfield led by as many as seven points, 17-10 on a Desiree Pina free throw at the 5:37 mark.  Shireyll Moore scored eight points in the first half, going 3-4 from the field.

The Stags return to action on Sunday, Dec. 7 when they host Iona College in a MAAC game at the Arena at Harbor Yard.  The game, set for 1 p.m., will air live on several Cablevision stations throughout Connecticut and Westchester County, N.Y., as well as on the Connecticut Sports Network.