Box Score FAIRFIELD, CT – Jasmine McCall (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan [Seton Hall]) scored a team-high 16 points and Jamiyah Bethune (Union, NJ/Union [Penn State]) added 15, but the Monmouth University women's basketball team fell at Fairfield, 80-70, Sunday afternoon at Alumni Hall. The Hawks (9-16, 7-9 MAAC) shot a season-high 50.0 percent (29-58) from the floor. Fairfield improves to 15-10 (10-6 MAAC) with the win.

Tyese Purvis (Queens, NY/Francis Lewis [Monroe C.C.]) and Erica Balman (Marcellus, NY/Marcellus) added eight points apiece for Monmouth, with Balman also grabbing five rebounds. Jasmine Walker (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) chipped in with seven points and seven rebounds.

Kelsey Carey led Fairfield with 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting, while Kristine Miller scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor and 5-of-9 from the free-throw line. Casey Smith and Kristin Schatzlein added 13 points apiece. Schatzlein also dished out seven assists, while Lizzy Ball distributed nine assists. Samantha Cooper contributed nine points and eight rebounds.  

Fairfield started the game on a 7-0 run, including the first two field goals from Smith. Monmouth scored 13 of the next 18 points to take their first lead of the game, 13-12, on a Purvis three-pointer at the 4:17 mark. The teams exchanged the lead on the next three possessions and Fairfield outscored the Hawks, 6-2, over the final 3:30 of the period to take a 20-17 lead after one.

The Hawks tied the game on their opening possession of the second half when Purvis knocked down a three at the 9:42 mark. But the Stags outscored the Hawks 15-7 in the next four minutes to extend to a 35-27 lead by the midpoint of the second quarter and never trailed again. Carey scored six points in the spurt for Fairfield.

The Hawks cut the deficit to four, 35-31, on consecutive buckets by Bethune and Walker, the second coming at the 3:31 mark. But an Olson free throw at the 2:54 mark was the last Monmouth scoring of the half as Fairfield outscored the Hawks, 10-1, over the final 3:07 of the half to take a 45-32 lead at the break.

Purvis and McCall led the Hawks with eight points apiece in the first half, while Bethune added seven points. Walker grabbed five first-half rebounds, but the Stags took a 22-15 edge on the boards and a 10-4 advantage on second-chance points with Christina Mitchell (Baltimore, MD/MATHS) playing just six minutes in the first half due to two early fouls. Smith led the Stags with 13 points in the first half, while Carey and Schatzlein scored 10 points apiece. Ball finished the half with eight assists without committing a turnover.

The teams exchanged the first two buckets of the second half before the Stags got a Carey bucket and a three-point play from Cooper to extend to a 52-34 lead at the 7:12 mark of the third. The Hawks scored four-straight to momentarily slice into the deficit, but the Stags outscored the Hawks, 10-6, to end the third and take a 62-44 lead after three.

The Hawks gradually chipped away at the Stags' lead, cutting it to 10 twice in the fourth quarter, but could draw no closer.

For the game, the Hawks outshot the Stags, 50.0 percent (29-58) to 43.1 percent (28-65) from the floor, 46.2 percent (6-13) to 33.3 percent (5-15) from long range and 66.7 percent (6-9) to 57.6 percent (19-33) from the free-throw line. Fairfield edged the Hawks on the boards, 37-36, and took a 17-5 edge in fast-break points. Monmouth took a 40-34 advantage in the paint and a 34-19 edge in bench scoring.

The Hawks return to action Friday, when they begin the league's Western New York road trip at Niagara. Tip-off from the “Taps” Gallagher Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.