33 seconds left, Fairfield up by two with possession.
The inbounds pass was good to junior guard Sabra Wrice, who was promptly smothered by three Siena players, with the Saint’s Heather Stec coming up with the ball.
After a 30 second Siena timeout, the Saints set up their final shot.
They passed the ball around until getting the ball in the post to Laura Menty, where she was stripped of the ball. However, she managed to push the ball out to the perimeter.
Melissa Manzer grabbed the ball off the ground and heaved it into the air. The ball swished through the net to give Siena the lead, 53-52, with only 2.5 seconds left.
A desperation shot by junior guard Meka Werts fell short, ending the Stag’s season in the Quarterfinals of the MAAC tournament.
The final seconds provided a dramatic conclusion to a game that Fairfield had many opportunities to win.
Wrice carried the team again, scoring 29 points on 11 of 21 shooting, and also stripping the ball three times.
However, her miscue at the end of the game provided Siena with their chance.
“I felt like I got fouled, pushed in the back, but that’s just the game,” said Wrice.
However, it was not just the final seconds that led Fairfield to defeat.
The Saints shot 50 percent in the second half, as well as making 20 of 25 foul shots for the game.
“I’m probably not the person to ask,” said head coach Dianne Nolan, in regards to why Siena shot nearly twice as many foul shots as Fairfield.
Siena also went to a 2-3 zone defense to slow down Fairfield after their fast start.
The Stags shot only 35.6 percent for the game, but only had 10 turnovers.
“We tried to press, but when we’re not scoring, it’s hard,” said Nolan. “They guarded our wings very well and their guards were able to get dribble penetration into the paint.”
Fairfield ends the season with a 15-15 record overall.
“We start again in three weeks,” said Nolan.
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