NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Niagara fought hard against a battled tested Fairfield Stags club, but eventually lost 76-63 on Sunday afternoon at the Gallagher Center.  A scoring drought late in the second-half tilted the game in favor of the visitors.

“We did some good things today,” head coach Kendra Faustin said. “I thought we stepped it up on defense this game and Grace (Cunningham) did a great job playing for a sick Ali (Morris). They went little stretches late and we couldn’t get over the hump.”

Fairfield (10-8, 5-2 MAAC) started the better of the two teams and built a 16-3 lead, with most of the damage coming from its leading scorer Baendu Lowenthal.

Niagara’s (1-17, 0-7 MAAC) defense was instrumental in cutting the lead late in the first half. The Purple Eagles forced eight turnovers, including two shot clock violations. Jennifer McNamee (Oxford, Ohio) hit a step back 3-pointer at 3:11 to bring Niagara within one, 25-24.

Erika Harris (Gahanna, Ohio) drained a mid-range jumper as time expired to cut Fairfield’s lead to 32-29 at halftime.

The Stags increased their lead to 56-42 with 11 minutes to play when the Purple Eagles staged another comeback. With eight minutes left in the second half, McNamee made her third 3-pointer of the game to bring them down 58-52 to cap a 10-2 run.

Niagara would go cold from the field for the rest of the game, while Fairfield padded its lead; the Stags went on a 14-4 run in the next six minutes.

McNamee led Niagara with 13 points while Harris and Rachele Folino (Novi, Mich.) added 11 and 10, respectively. Fairfield’s Lauren Groom had a career-high 26 points to lead the game.

The Purple Eagles are on the road next weekend and will play the Saint Peter’s Peahens on Friday night.