LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Women's Basketball showed once again that it was not to be tossed around by the MAAC's leading squad and one of the top mid-major basketball teams this season. The Saints (13-11, 10-6) again battled RV/RV Fairfield (23-1, 15-0), into the final minutes of play for the second time this season, with the Stags edging out a 71-67 win at the UHY Center Thursday evening.

Again playing shorthanded due to injury and illness, the Green and Gold held their own against the team effectively ranked 27^th nationally, receiving votes in the latest Associated Press Top-25 poll. The Stags hoped out to a 16-10 lead midway through the first period, but the home team responded with a 12-0 run to cap the quarter, including five points from sophomore Elisa Mevius.

An early second quarter triple from sophomore Teresa Seppala and a jumped in the pain from sophomore London Gamble helped the Green and Gold own a game-high nine-point lead with seven minutes remaining in the first half, but the visitors recorded 14 of the final 22 points of the second quarter to allow the Saints only a one-point lead at the intermission.

Fairfield began the second half with back-to-back three-pointers from nine-time MAAC Rookie of the Week Meghan Andersen to force a Siena timeout, but the Saints responded with three triples from Seppala and Mevius to regain the lead. The teams continued to tussle down the stretch in the third, but Fairfield managed to pull away by way to a layup and three-pointer from Andersen and a pair of free throws from senior Janelle Brown to give them a six-point advantage heading into the fourth.

Fairfield capped a 12-0 run to take an 11-point lead with 7:50 remaining in the game, but Mevius and Seppala worked to dig into the deficit. A long three-pointer from senior Ahniysha Jackson made it a four-point game with 2:58 remaining, but the Saints could not come any closer despite seven of the game's final 11 points.

Seppala went off for a career-high 29 points, including nine shots from the field and four threes, while Mevius went for 16 points, seven boards, and became the first Saint ever to eclipse 100 steals in a single season. Siena scored 26 points off 22 Fairfield turnovers, but ended a streak of 12 straight games shooting 40 percent or better from the field with 36.7 percent.

Fairfield shot 47.4 percent, with Brown and Andersen leading the way at 19 points each. Freshman Kaety L'Amoreaux added 14 points, while the Stags held a 37-34 advantage on the boards and went for 36 points in the paint.

Siena will look to move on from a three-game losing skid by facing four of the current bottom six teams in the league to conclude the regular season, beginning at Saint Peter's on Saturday, February 24 at 2 PM in Jersey City, New Jersey.