FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Janelle Brown and the Fairfield University Women's Basketball team gave the nearly 1,800 school kids plenty to cheer about. Brown tallied her first double-double of the season with 15 points and a game-high 10 assists in leading the Stags to a 76-49 win against Marist in the annual Kids Day Out contest. The victory is Fairfield's 20th of the year and their 18th-straight, the second longest active streak in the nation.
"I'm excited for what we've done until this point," Head Coach
Carly Thibault-DuDonis said. "The thing we've talked about as a team is we haven't come this far just to come this far. While 20 wins and 18-straight is great there's a lot of season left and we have a lot of goals to accomplish. It's an ability to enjoy where you're at while still wanting more."
The Stags' (20-1; 12-0 MAAC) defense once-again shined as they forced a season-high 29 turnovers while scoring 35 points off those miscues. Brown's tenacious defense was responsible for six of the team's 19 steals, crushing their previous season-best.
Brown, who entered the game with the highest field goal percentage among any guard in the nation, continued her hot shooting by connecting on all three of her 3-point attempts in the second quarter to tally a team-best nine points in the first half.
The Stags out-scored Marist in every quarter while netting at least 20 points in the final three periods.
Kendall McGruder also had an efficient game for the Stags, hitting four of her five attempts from behind the arc, tying her career-high for 3-pointers in a game. She went a perfect 3-for-3 from long-range in the third quarter in helping the Stags out-score 21-11 in the period.
Marist had cut the deficit to nine at the 5:45 mark of the third before the Stags finished the quarter on an 13-2 run to extend the lead to 20 at 56-36.
Brown's double-double was the third of her career and her 10 assists marked a new career-high. She also tied a personal-best with six steals while also grabbing six boards.
"She's got that look in her eyes sometimes and you know she's ready to go," Coach Carly said. "She's an unbelievable competitor. When she comes out and hits three 3s to start the game it opens up the driving lanes to not only get in the paint but to dish out to teammates. Her fingerprints are all over the game and the stat sheet because she can defend, go off the bounce, and shoot. There's a lot of elements in her game."
Meghan Andersen tallied double-figures scoring for her 15th-straight contest while also blocking three shots and recording two steals.
Kaety L'Amoreaux and Izabela Nicoletti-Leite each dished out six assists with the team dishing out a season-best 24 helpers.
The Stags, who entered the game with the fourth best scoring defense in the country, lowered that average to 53.2. It is also the ninth time this season, and the fourth-straight game, they have held an opponent to under 50 points.
Fairfield will look to keep the momentum going when they host Saint Peter's in the program's Black Excellence game on Saturday at 2pm
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