ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Janelle Brown scored all 15 of her points in the second half to rally Fairfield, and her teammates finished the task in overtime to beat Niagara 70-62 on Saturday in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game for the Stags’ 29th straight victory and an NCAA Tournament berth.
Brown, the conference player of the year, split two defenders to give Fairfield its first lead with just under two minutes to go. She had a chance to win the game in regulation but was called for a charge, her fifth foul, and the game went to OT, where the Stags outscored the Eagles 12-4.
Kaety L’Amoreaux added 12 points and Emina Selimovic had 11 points, including four in overtime, plus 11 rebounds. Izabela Nicoletti-Leite also scored 11 points for the Stags (31-1), whose only loss came in the third game of the season to Vanderbilt, 73-70.
Amelia Strong scored 14 points, the only Niagara player to reach double figures.
The Eagles (21-13), the nation’s leader in steals and forced turnovers, worked Fairfield into 58 miscues in two regular-season losses. Stags had 27 more in this game but reduced their turnovers to eight in the second half when they rallied from a 13-point deficit. They trailed by seven entering the fourth quarter.
Niagara had 19 turnovers of their own in the often frenetic contest and was only 2-of-11 shooting in the final quarter and 1 of 7 in overtime.
This will be Fairfield’s second championship in three years.
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