ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Jillian Huerter hit four 3-pointers and scored 16 points, Cyanne Coe had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Fairfield beat top-seeded Quinnipiac 51-44 on Monday to claim a third straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament championship.
Fairfield (28-4), the No. 2 seed, advances to its fourth NCAA Tournament in the past five years and its eighth overall. Quinnipiac (26-6) was aiming for a sixth appearance in the main event — with its five previous trips coming from 2013-19.
Anna Foley hit a 3-pointer and Jackie Grisdale added a layup as Quinnipiac took advantage of three straight Fairfield turnovers to cut it to 47-44 with 60 seconds remaining. But Sydney Ryan missed a tying 3-pointer with 23 seconds left and Kaety L’Amoreaux and Sydni Scott sealed it at the free-throw line.
Foley led the Bobcats with 17 points and nine rebounds. Ella Ryan added 14 points.
There were four lead changes in the second quarter with neither team leading by more than a point until Huerter sank back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Stags a 20-13 lead.
Ella Ryan’s layup with 2:04 remaining was the final basket of the half and left Quinnipiac trailing 25-19.
Coe had six points in the third quarter and the Stags outscored the Bobcats by three to take a 38-29 lead into the fourth. Quinnipiac never had a second-half lead.
The two teams split two games during the regular season, with both winning on the road.
Quinnipiac was the last to win three straight conference tourneys (2017-19). Marist won nine straight from 2006-14.
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