Charles Nailen/The Hoya Senior guard Lesley Walker is averaging 11.6 points per game, but she could only come up with eight in the Hoyas’ first lost of the season.

The Georgetown women’s basketball team managed to hold off their first four opponents of the season, but Fairfield was a different story. The Hoyas (4-1) couldn’t put forth the defensive effort needed to stop the Stags (2-4) from getting a 68-57 win Friday night.

“We were horrible defensively. They shot [54] percent. We left people open, we played poorly in the post and we let them drive,” Head Coach Pat Knapp said.

Sophomore forward Rebekkah Brunson led the Hoyas with 14 points and had eight rebounds in 26 minutes of play, the fewest of the team’s starters. Her limited playing time was largely because of two early fouls.

Freshman point guard Mary Lisicky scored 13 points and shot 43 percent from three-point range.

The Stags were led by senior guard Megan Light’s 21 points. It was Light’s first game of the season since returning from injury.

Georgetown started out in man-to-man defense and allowed the Stags to shoot 52 percent, including 3-for-4 from beyond the three-point line in the first half. Despite this, the Hoyas continued to threaten throughout the half.

They took the lead for the only time in the game, 20-19, with 8:21 to go on a layup by junior center Suzy Bendegue.

But the Hoyas just couldn’t catch up, and the Stags took a six-point lead into the locker room.

The two teams exchanged surges throughout the second period, with the Stags going up by 12 after two minutes of play, but the Hoyas later cut the deficit to within four. After trading baskets for most the half, the Hoyas tried to make a final run down five with two minutes to go.

Brunson couldn’t convert the free-throw after being fouled on a made layup, and Lisicky missed a three-point attempt, while Stags’ sophomore guard Marybeth Chartier made a jumper to put Fairfield up 60-53 at the 1:24 mark.

The Hoyas then began to foul in an effort to stop the clock, but clutch free-throw shooting by the Stags put the Hoyas further in the hole. Lisicky made a three-pointer with 32 seconds remaining to bring Georgetown within six, but that was the closest they would get.

The Hoyas’ shooting percentage of 38 was their lowest of the season. Fairfield played zone defense most of the game, forcing the Hoyas to keep the ball around the perimeter.

“The other team’s playing their zone to keep the ball out of the middle, so you just don’t force it in there,” Knapp said. “So we have to hit some perimeter shots, and, of course, we didn’t. All we had was Mary on the perimeter tonight.”

The Hoyas’ offensive production typically comes from Brunson’s layups or post moves, as well as senior guard Lesley Walker’s drives to the basket. But the Stags’ zone eliminated those two factors. Walker scored eight points.

Knapp said that the team cannot rely on Brunson constantly.

“This isn’t all about Becky. This is about when another team’s in a zone, our post players have to move in sync. They have to move sharp, they have to post up, they have to come to the ball, and if they don’t, we take them out. Doesn’t matter if it’s Becky, [junior forward] Zsuzanna Horvath, [junior center] Suzy Bendegue or [junior forward] Nok Duany,” he said.

But in the end, the Hoyas’ defense was what allowed the Stags to win. They switched to a zone in the second half because they were leaving the Stags’ shooters open, but it failed to solve their problems.

“We had key people not show up and be aggressive playing defense tonight. So we watched them. We watched them play, and we got what we deserved,” Knapp said.

The Hoyas take the loss into a tough week when they face two nationally-ranked opponents. They go across town to take on No. 21 George Washington (2-4) Wednesday at 7 p.m. and will play host to No. 12 Duke (5-2) Saturday in McDonough Gymnasium.