A Preview of the Fairfield vs. Saint Peter’s Game

On Sunday, the Stags will look to move past a Monday-night loss to Marist and close out the regular season with a win.

Fairfield played a great first half against the Red Foxes, despite foul trouble among the post players and an injury to Greg Nero.

However, these fouls came back to haunt the Stags in the second half, when Marist strung together several scoring drives.

The Peacocks currently sit in ninth place, but they are still competitive. Last time out, Saint Peter’s came from behind to beat Iona.

With several teams currently vying for top seeds in the Tournament, Fairfield knows what is at stake.

Look for the Stags to close out the 2006-2007 regular season campaign with an exclamation point.

-Frank Romano

Final from the Harbor: 65-62 Red Foxes

• Final Score from Harbor Yard: Marist 67, Fairfield 60
• Han's three falls short as the buzzer sounds.
• Jordan is fouled by Ogelsby fast and heads to the line. At this point, it's all for nothing. Jordan nails both and puts Marist up by seven. 67-60 Red Foxes.
• Anthony Johnson tips in a miss from Van Schaick. 65-60 Marist.
• Whittington is fouled quickly by Han. He goes to the line and sinks one-of-two. 65-58 Marist.
• Diakhate gets a quick buckets - 64-58 Red Foxes with :25.2 to play.
• Whittington makes one-of-two, making it an eight point contest. 64-56 Red Foxes.
• Marist grabs the board after a botched play and a tough shot from Danny Ogelsby falls short. Whittington is fouled and heads to the line.
• On the "one and one", Jordan hits the first but misses the second. 63-56 Red Foxes.
• Van Schaick converts two of three to pull the Stags within six points. Ogelsby fouls Jordan right away.
• Van Schaick gets fouled hard behind the line by Whittington - sending him to the line for three fouls shots. It wasn't exactly how they drew it up, but with Shake at the line, they'll take it.
• Whittington stepped out of bound as Marist was working the ball around - giving Fairfield a chance to keep it a game.
• Mamadou gets called on a walk in the paint. Cooley did not like the travel call.
• Jordan misses a three - Stags ball.
• After a near ten second violation, Marist is forced to take another timeout.

- Keith Connors

62-54 Marist; 2:23 in the 2nd

• Marist burns a timeout with Jordan trapped in the press defense.
• With the shot clock winding down, Jared Jordan hits a long three. Van Schaick made a quick lay-up moments later. 62-54 Marist.
• After a timeout, Oglesby misses a three from the top of the arc. Looks like Van Schaick was held on the ensuing rebound, but no call was made. Cooley was not happy with the ref.
• Will Benjamin gets called on the hold foul, sending the Stags to the free throw line.
• Stags come right out of the timeout with a full-court press.

- Keith Connors

59-52 Red Foxes; 4:15 in the 2nd

• On a quick cross-court dish from Van Schaick, Jon Han hits a three that rolled around for a good five seconds before it finally fell in. 59-52 Foxes.
• Mamadou makes one-of-two and cuts the lead to ten. 59-49 Red Foxes.
• Will Whittington knocks down a three on a pick in the corner. 59-48 Marist.
• Stilphen misses the foul shot - but Jordan pulls down the board.
• The Stags moves to a full-court press. Mamadou gets called on a hold in the process - sending Stilphen to the line. Not exactly what Coach had in mind.
• Stilphen gets called on an "over the back" on Shake. Van Schaick converts both. 56-48 Red Foxes.
• Shake misses a three in the corner, then Anthony Johnson gets blocks by the RIM on a put-back. When it rains, it pours...
• The entire Marist bench is standing and yelling. Good enthusiasm from the Red Foxes.
• Stilphen drains a three - on a wide-open look. 56-46 Marist.
• Marty O'Sullivan gets called on a foul on the rebound. He apparently landed awkwardly and was very slow getting up. Looks as if he twisted his ankle on the play - he walks away on his own power.
• Han misses the shot, but grabs his own board after a crazy bounce after the shot.
• Gerald Carter gets called on a hold on the floor as Han drives. That's the team's ninth foul at only 7:40 to go.

- Keith Connors

53-46 Red Foxes; 7:53 in the 2nd

• Stags retain the ball after a loose ball bounces out of bounds.
• Benjamin lays it in after a nice look. 53-46 Red Foxes.
• A little side note: Marist reserve forward Miles Orman graduated from my alma matter, Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, NJ. Orman was a fantastic high school player that was a lot of fun to watch. This week the Crusades are playing in the Bergen County Jamboree Finals against arch rival Don Bosco, a title that Orman helped us win back in my freshman year of '02. Go Crusaders

- Keith Connors

51-45; 8:45 in the 2nd

• Whittington gets a huge reaction from the Marist fans that made the trip to Harbor Yard and pumps his fist as Head Coach Ed Cooley burns a timeout.
• Marty misses a mid-ranged jumper. Moments later, Will Whittington buries a three with emphasis. 51-45 Red Foxes.
• Benjamin tries to put back a Whittington miss - but is fouled by Devin Johnson on the way up. He goes to the line and knocks down both.
• Carter gets called on a hold in the paint - the team's seventh foul. With a one-and-one, Devin Johnson goes to the charity stripe and misses.
• Gerald Carter misses the first and then converts the second attempt. Marist has had trouble making their foul shots all night. Something to keep an eye on a little later on. 46-45 Marist.
• Devin Johnson pulls a little deja vu by finding Michael Van Schaick in the corner, who makes the shot. Three-pointer from Shake! 45-45.
• Jordan finds Will Whittington in the corner - who hits the three off of a screen. 45-42 Red Foxes.
• Benjamin hits one-of-two and ties the game. 42-42.
• Devin Johnson checks in for the first time all evening.
• Dapper Cooley watch: a blue striped shirt with a red and blue striped tie. You guessed it... very classy.
• Plenty of hostility tonight from the Red Sea. They're letting Jordan know what they think of him. I'll tell you this much - they don't seem to take kindly too him.

- Keith Connors

42-41 Stags; 11:39 in the 2nd

• Benjamin gets fouled by Marty on a put-back off of a Whittington miss. It's Marty's third foul.
• Smith his yet another three. What a night this kid is having. 42-41 Stags.
• Marty puts it up strong over Benjamin and hits the leaner. He's doing a fantastic job in the paint tonight against some strong Fox guards. 42-38 Stags
• Good defense from Fairfield after a few careless passes from Marist leads to a turnover. Stags ball.
• Marty hits a pretty hook shot over Smith from the post. The Stags regain the lead. 40-38 Stags.
• Jordan misses on a pick-and-pop play. Mamadou grabs the rebound.
• Han sinks both shots to tie the game. 38-38.
• Two technicals called - one on Ben Farmer and another on Mamadou. Must have been a little pushing and talking after the play.
• Han gets called on a foul after a steal from Jordan. On the miss, Marty attempted to put it back for a dunk and accidentally grabbed the rim. Looks like they're going to call a technical for that on the Stags.
• Stilphen steps out of bounds trying to save an errant pass. Stags ball.

- Keith Connors

38-36 Stags; 15:39 in the 2nd

• Media timeout.
• James Smith knocks down a three after a kick-out pass from Jordan. Nothing but net. Marist has its first lead in quite some time. 38-36 Foxes.
• Tom mentions that guard Devin Johnson, one of the Stags' premier defenders, has not played a single minute. Very interesting.

- Keith Connors

36-35 Stags; 16:32 in the 2nd

• Cooley takes a timeout - sensing a Red Foxes run building.
• Mamadou gets picked on a little miscommunication between him and Han. An opportunistic Jordan takes it to the whole and makes the lay-up. 36-35 Stags.
• Mamadou tries to get a charge called, but the flop does not work. Stilphen takes it in easy - 36-33 Stags.
• The jacket is off! Cooley is getting into it now.
• Han takes it coast-to-coast after a Jordan miss and lays it up. 36-31 FU.
• Anthony Johnson gets called on a miss and gives Marist the ball back. Stilphen does a nice job taking advantage of a slide from Mamadou and scores the point. Han answers with a nice shot in the lane. 34-31 Stags.
• Marty grabs his own miss and puts it back in, making it a three-point game. 32-29 Stags.
• Back-to-back turnovers on the defensive end by Marist keeps giving Fairfield the ball back. They've yet to capitalize.
• Jordan finally tallies a point - hitting a pull-up in the lane. 30-29 Stags.
• Chris Simmons just jacked a thing of popcorn from the Media Room. Theif!
• Greg Nero looks like he has a heated back pad on right now. It's hard to tell (since he's still in uniform), but I don't think we'll see a lot of him in the second half.

- Keith Connors

Halftime Hits: FU/Marist

• FU's bench as been productive - they have 11 points from reserves.
• Marty O'Sullivan did not score a point, but grabbed seven rebounds in the first half.
• Jared Jordan is scoreless, shooting 0-4 from the field and 0-2 from three-point land.
• The Stags have been out rebounded 22 to 16, allowing Marist to score 7 second chance points. Fairfield has not recorded a second chance point all game.
• James Smith, Marist's 7'0" center, leads all scorers with 13 points, including three from behind the arc. Not bad for a big guy.
• Mamadou Diakate leads the Stags with 9 points on 4-of-5 shooting.

- Keith Connors

Halftime at the Harbor: 30-27 FU

• At the Half: Fairfield 30, Marist 27
• Great coaching by Marist - a good job of not letting Fairfield develop a play and get a nice look.
• Van Schaick misses a long three with Jordan in his face.
• Will Whittington gets called on a hold on Han. Moments later, they get another one. Jordan fouls on yet another in-bound, as Marist has plenty of fouls to give. The Stags only have :03.7 to shoot.
• The shot clock is off - the Stags will hold for the final shot of the half.

- Keith Connors

30-27 Stags; :31.8 in the 1st

• Marist takes a 30-second timeout.
• Diakhate gets called on a foul - and "over the back" - sending Stilphen to the line. Stilphen misses the first, but makes the second. 30-27 Marist
• Highly-touted Marist guard Jared Jordan is scoreless thus far in the half. He just missed a "one-and-one" free throw attempt.

- Keith Connors

; in the 1st

• Jordan goes to the line on a hold on the other side of the court. He misses a free throw - but Stilphen gets the board and puts it up quick. 30-26 Stags.
• O'Sullivan gets called on an "over the back" foul on the defensive side of the floor - sending Ryan Stilphen to the line for a one-and-one. He misses, and Fairfield gets the rebound.
• Mamadou drains a three - the second of his career - then grabs a board a few minutes later. 30-24 Stags.
• Smith makes both. 27-24 FU.
• Back-to-back rebounds leads to a hard foul from Mamadou on a rebound pulled in by Smith. They call it a flagrant. And Smith heads to the line. That's Mamadou for ya - he's a bruiser. (In all honesty - if this was lacrosse, it would've been a penalty too).
• From all of us here at Mirror Sports... Happy Birthday, Ben Spencer!

- Keith Connors

27-22 Stags; 3:04 in the 1st

• Media T.O.
• SHAKE ALERT: Van Schaick comes off a screen on a "gate" play and knocks down the three with Jordan in his grill. Mamadou gets a lay-up seconds later after a Marist miss. 27-22 Stags.
• Danny pump fakes and takes it all the way for a lay-in on a great kick out from Marty. Moments later, James Smith hits another three. This guy can sure shoot for a 7'0" center. 22-22 Tie.
• Whittington is hacked by Ogelsby on the shot (Danny didn't box out) and heads to the line. He converts both, pulling the Foxes within one. 20-19 Stags.
• Anthony Johnson dunks an alley-oop mere seconds later. Before I even finish typing this, Smith makes a three-pointer. 20-17 Stags.
• Stilphen gets a kick-out feed from Smith in the post and does a nice job hitting the shot. He's a nice little shooter.
• Nero is back in - good to see that he is fine.
• Chris Simmons, women's basketball beat writer, joins us this evening. For the record, I own him in Guitar Hero.
• "I got a fevah... and the only prescription...... is more cowbell."

- Keith Connors

18-12 Stags; 7:29 in the 1st

• Will Benjamin hits a shot, but Mamadou Diakhate follows it up with a nice shot in the lane. 18-12 Stags.
• Jon Han beats the zone off a great feed from Herbie and hits the three. They're moving the ball well on offense. 16-10 Stags.
• Marist has changed to a 2-3 zone.
• Stilphen pulls up in the lane and hits a fifteen footer. 13-10 Stags.
• Mamadou Diakhate hits a shot from the top of the key and puts Fairifeld back up five. 13-8 Stags.
• Whittington gets a give-and-go off of the inbound pass and knocks down the three. 11-8 FU.
• Injury note: Greg Nero went down hard and seemed to be clutching his leg. After a few moments, he got up on his own power and walked away okay. It looks like it was a cramp.

- Keith Connors

11-5 Stags; 11:03 in the 1st

• Greg Nero posts up and hits a shot from Jon Han and puts the Stags up. A few moments later, Jon Han telegraphs a pass and takes it all the way for a lay-up. He read that like a book. 11-5 Stags.
• Jordan misses a three and the ball goes out of bounds.
• Han hits both form the charity stripe. 7-5 Stags.
• Jon Han drives and tries to dish a pass - but is fouled by Gerald Carter. They actually call it a shooting foul and give him two shots.
• A bad pass to McNamara in the paint leads to a Marist turnover. Stags ball.
• Nero does a great job grabbing a board - actually falling on the ground in the process. The Stags retain possession.
• Jordan tries to take it all the way, but misses the three. Ogleby misses a three, then Whittington misses his shot from behind the arc. Geesh.
• Van Schaick hits a three - unassisted. 5-5 Tie.
• Stilphen backs down Marty, and gives Smith a beautiful pass to the top of the key. Smith nails the shot and puts Marist up three. 5-2 Foxes.
• Looks like we're going to be seeing Jordan v. Van Schaick tonight. As a MAAC fan and a b-ball enthusiast, I'm excited.

- Keith Connors

2-2 Tie; 15:14 in the 1st

• Whittington misses a three, followed by a Stags rebound.
• Danny Ogelsby ties it up on a nice look. Tie 2-2.
• James Smith gets a great look from Jordan down-low and hits an easy shot. Marist 2-0
• Shake misses his first shot on a pull-up jumper.
• Good defense from Peanut in the paint causes Smith to double dribble. Stags ball, still no score.
• Van Schaick hits Marty on a beautiful pass - but he misses the open three.
• Anthony Johnson steps out of bound on a post-up attempt on Smith. It wasn't go anywhere anyway.
• Marty misses ugly on a three-point attempt - but makes up for it by taking a charge on the other end from Stilphen.
• Marist misses both put backs on both end - first Farmer and then Smith wiffed on the rebound lay-in attempt.
• Johnson called on an early foul down-low. They went right after him.
• And now - gametime.
• Marty O'Sullivan and Danny Ogelsby both get the start tonight - freshmen Devin Johnson and Greg Nero both give way to their senior leaders.
• Nice showing for the Marist faithful - it looks like they brought their own fan bus from Poughkeepsie. I hate to say it, but they almost have more people than the "Red Sea". I'm hoping we get a little back-and-forth banter between both crowds tonight - high school style.

- Keith Connors

A Preview of the Fairfield vs. Marist Game: Seeing “Red”

On Monday, the Stags will look for revenge against the Red Foxes.

The last time out against Marist – just a week and a half ago – the Stags played some of the best basketball they’ve played all season, but lost by one on a foul shot after the buzzer.

Intimidation is clearly not a factor. Fairfield has gone toe-to-tone with some very strong teams and has proven why it is a MAAC contender.

Look for the Stags to build off their stellar defensive play from this past Saturday, when they held William and Mary to only 45 points.

With the regular season in its final stages, Marist and Fairfield know what is at stake.

Expect an all-out fight-to-the-finish.

-Frank Romano

Pics from win over William and Mary

-Chris Simmons

Stags Lead 50-40; 3:51 Remaining

William and Mary have cut the lead to ten, but seem to be ready to give in. It looks like both teams just want to get out of here as soon as possible, but the CAA refs are calling way too many fouls.

Marty O'Sullivan hit another three, his third of the night to tie Han for the team lead with 11 points.

Han hits 1 of 2 free throws after the media timeout to retake the lead with 12 points, Stags lead 51-40.

-Tom Cleary.

7:23 Left In Game; Stags Lead 45-33

Fairfield, who have been in control of the game all night long, seem to be pulling away and now lead by 12. Anthony Johnson and Jonathan Han are leading the way. Han has a team-high 11 points, while Johnson has 10.

The Stags defense has been tough all game long and William & Mary is shooting 28 percent from the floor. Neither team looks too excited about being here, but the Tribe looks much worse than Fairfield.

-Tom Cleary

Fairfield Leading 34-27; 10:31 Remaining In Second Half

A 5-0 run by William and Mary brought them back into the game, but a thunderous alley oop dunk by Anthony Johnson ended that run and may have swung momentum back to the Stags.

Johnson leads all Stags scorers with 8 points, tying him with Marty O'Sullivan. Adam Payton has a game-high 11 points.

-Tom Cleary

Stags Lead 28-17; 15:04 Left 2nd Half

Neither team scored until the 17:38 mark, when William and Mary got two points on goaltending by Anthony Johnson, who knocked the ball off the cylinder. William and Mary scored once more by breaking the Stags press.

The Stags received strong post play by Johnson, who has four points in the half and Nero who has three. Nero got the ball in the paint, spun and scored and was fouled, converting on the free throw.

-Tom Cleary

Stags lead 17-11; 3:37 Left First Half

The Stags extended their lead on a long NBA range three pointer by Jonathan Han. Then Adam Payton was fouled on a lob to him, when Marty O'Sullivan went up to stop the entry pass and collided mid-air with Payton, who made 1 of 2 free throws.

Fairfield and William & Mary both look sluggish, neither is playing with much energy. Both sides are shooting poorly, as the Tribe is shooting 29 percent and Fairfield a slightly better 33 percent from the floor.

-Tom Cleary

William and Mary Cuts Lead to 14-10

Marty O'Sullivan commits a foul down low on Adam Payton, sending him to the line after the media timeout. Payton missed the foul shot.

The basket ended the Fairfield 6-0 run.

Roi Buchbinder is not dressed for the game.

-Tom Cleary

Stags Lead 14-8, 7:29 Remaining First Half

William & Mary calls a timeout after Marty O'Sullivan knocks down back to back three pointers, putting the Stags up 14-8. O'Sullivan leads all scorers with six points.

Stags still just 2-for- 9 from three.

Rich Flemming seeing more playing time than he has in a long while. In the last seven games, Flemming has just nine minutes of play. He has 2 rebounds tonight and forced a steal by Anthony Johnson by deflecting a pass to the paint.

-Tom Cleary

11:47 Remaining 1st Half; Fairfield Leads 8-6

Devin Johnson made another good pass, sending the ball down low to Greg Nero once again, who laid the ball in for his fourth point of the game.

Adam Payton scored his fourth point of the game on the next possession to tie the game back up at six, but Michael Van Schaick sent the ball into the paint to forward Anthony Johnson, who backed off his man and knocked down a jumper.

The Stags are working the ball down low on almost every possession and so far NEro and Johnson are converting.

The defense has been tight so far also, holding the Tribe to 33 percent shooting and forcing three turnovers.

-Tom Cleary

Fairfield 4, W&M 4, 15:45 1st Half

The Stags missed a three pointer by Greg Nero, when the ball appeared to be tipped, but was called out of bounds on the Stags. Nero is 1-for-5 already with 2 three point tries.

After William and Mary scored, Devin Johnson stole the ball, drove the court and tied the game with a lay in.

William and Mary responded with a jump shot by Adam Payton, their leading scorer who averages 13.5 points per game, but a drive and pass down low from Devin Johnson to Nero, who scored on a lay-in tied the game. Nero was fouled, but missed the free throw shot.

-Tom Cleary

A Preview of the Fairfield vs. William and Mary BracketBuster Game

This Saturday, the Stags will play Colonial Athletic Conference opponent William and Mary in one of the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBuster games.

The Tribe competes against schools such as Hofstra, James Madison, George Mason and Delaware. This year, William and Mary is 15-11 overall and 8-8 in conference play.

This year's Tribe's is one of five teams in school history with 15 D-1 regular season wins.

Like Fairfield, William and Mary also has a solid defense. This season, the Tribe posts a scoring defense of 65.9 ppg -- good for fourth in CAA play. In comparison, the Stags lead the MAAC in scoring defense, allowing only 65.1 ppg.

Expect close play throughout the game. William and Mary comes into the game off a solid victory against Drexel its last time out. However, look for Fairfield to recover from its Wednesday-night loss to Siena and come out strong.

-Frank Romano

Final Score: 69-64 Siena

• Your final score: Siena 69, Fairfield 64
• Siena puts on a full-court press and Han passes the ball away.
• Kenny Hasbrouck makes both free throw attempts. Sienna takes a timeout.
• Shake fouls Hasbrouck with :16.9 to go.
• Han takes it coast-to-coast and gets called on a lay-up attempt. He heads to the line and hits both. 67-64 Saints.
• Fisher hits both shots, and the once boisterous crowd here at Harbor Yard has fell silent. 67-62 Saints.
• Han gives away the in-bound and the Saints grab the ball. Fisher is fouled and heads to the line with a chance to ice the game.

- Keith Connors

65-62 Saints; :32.4 in the 2nd

• Hasbrouck hits both shots to put Siena on top by three. 65-62 Saints.
• Shake fumbles the ball over to Siena. Marty O'Sullivan fouls Hasbrouck quickly and the Saints are in control.
• The Stags have been so good when it mattered lately. Let's see if it continues.

- Keith Connors

63-62 Saints; :53.1 in the 2nd

• Cooley calls a timeout to write a play.
• Franklin cuts and gets the ball in the lane. Anthony Johnson gets called on the foul, sending Franklin to the line. He hits the first to tie it, then adds the second to give Siena a one-point lead. 63-62 Saints.
• Han gets hit on his lay-in, but no foul is called. He misses the shot. It's Saints ball with a chance to take the lead.
• Fisher is called on another foul on the floor. Devin Johnson hits the first, but misses the second. 62-61 FU.
• Kenny Hasbrouck ties the game at 61 with a fast break lay-up at after a turnover from Jon Han. 61-61.
• Franklin misses, but Haddix tips it in on a look in the paint. 61-59 Stags.
• Tay Fisher is called on a hold shortly after the in-bound pass. Han converts the first shot, misses the second, but Marty tips in the miss, giving the Stags some temporary breathing room. 61-57 FU.
• Anthony Johnson is called on Franklin's put back attempt. Franklin misses the first, then drains the second. It's a one-point game. 58-57 Stags.
• Haddix goes to the line. He hits one of two, but the Saints retain possession on an offensive rebound. 58-56 Stags
• Han drives but gets blocked. Siena grabs the loose ball after it floats around for a while.
• The Stags have really been struggling getting quality looks and maintaining possession of late.

- Keith Connors

58-55 FU; 3:58 in the 2nd

• With this game suddenly very interesting, we have a media timeout.
• Both teams try to get fancy on alley-oop attempts; both teams turn the ball over.
• On the other end, Van Schaick is called on a foul on a shot. Franklin hits one-of-two. 58-55 FU.
• Marty whiffs on an open three.
• Ron Moore makes a short shot. Suddenly the Saints are back in the game. 58-54 Stags.
• Bad pass from Marty, which was an attempt to Nero, results in a turnover.
• Franklin is called for a hold on the floor - the team's eighth foul, which means Han heads to the line. Han misses the shot, but the Stags grab the offensive board.
• Alex Franklin knocks down a little jump shot in the paint. 58-52 FU.
• Franklin is fouled before the timeout. He hits both shots to cut the Fairfield lead to eight. 58-50 Stags.

- Keith Connors

58-48 Stags; 7:07 in the 2nd

• Marty gets a good look in the post, but kicks it out to Danny Ogelsby. Ogelsby drains the three and puts the Stags back up by ten. 58-48 FU.
• Kenny Hasbrouck winds his way inside and hits the shot. 55-47 FU.
• Han drives and then pulls up for a shot - that falls. 55-45 FU.
• Devin hits one of the two shots. 53-45 FU.
• Devin drives it, misses, but gets hacked on the put-back. Cory McGee gets called on a shooting foul. That's only his first but the team's seventh already. Something to keep an eye on as it's still very early.
• Franklin tries to dunk, but is met with some opposition in the form of Peanut Johnson. Inexplicably, Van Schaick gets called on the foul. Franklin hits one-of-two. 52-45 FU.
• Han hits a jumper from the top of the key with a defender in his face. Good patience by the offense to wait for a good look. 52-44 Stags.
• Alex Franklin hits a jumper in the lane. 50-44 Stags.
• Stags are playing with a lot more energy and enthusiasm right now. Cooley can sense it - he was pumped up and yelling before the timeout.
• I could really go for a Smartie right now.

- Keith Connors

50-42 Stags; 10:57 in the 2nd

• Media T.O.
• Good pressure on the defensive side of the floor leads to a bad pass from Siena.
• Marty just gets the shot off before the buzzer and hits it just outside the paint. 50-42 Stags.
• A turnover by Siena leads to a FU fast break. Han gets fouled on a lay-in attempt. He hits both shots from the charity stripe. 48-42 FU.
• After breaking the press, Marty hits Devin on the other end, who passes it to Anthony Johnson. Peanut nails the dunk with emphasis. 46-42 FU.
• A nice defensive stand for Fairfield. Marty swats Haddix's attempt away and then Devin Johnson grabs a rebound and Ubiles gets called on an over-the-back.
• Shake hits Marty down-low on a great look. Marty puts it up strong and makes it - and one shot with the foul. Marty misses the free throw. 44-42 Stags.
• Bad pass to Ubiles leads to a turnover.
• With the shot clock winding down, the Stags work it around the perimeter for Jonathan Han - who drills the three. We're all tied up. 42-42.
• Haddix puts it in over Anthony Johnson to give Siena a three-point advantage. 42-39 Siena.
• Cooley tosses the jacket after the turnover. Touche!

- Keith Connors

40-39 Saints; 15:19 in the 2nd

• Devin throws an errant pass and the Stags turn the ball over.
• Pretty move from Edwin Ubiles on a two-on-one. Ubiles lays it in and the Saints regain the lead. 40-39 Siena.
• SHAKE ALERT: Van Schaick gets a great look on an offensive rebound and nails the three in the corner. Here he comes. 39-38 Stags.
• Marty O'Sullivan hits a long two-pointer after just checking in. 38-36 Saints.
• Tay Fisher gets a good look from Dave Ryan and drains a three in the far corner. Siena gets control. 38-34 Siena.
• Nero misses an easy shot on a great play call - then gets called on a foul. Stags come back with the press.
• Van Schaick gets a pick up top and drives it all the way for a nice lay-up. Stags are now down by one. 35-34 Siena.
• A full-court ride (a little lax terminology for ya) from the Stags.
• Shake hits a falling shot off of a screen and is fouled in the process. He makes the extra shot to cut the deficit to three. 35-32 Saints.
• Shake misses a three and Anthony Johnson misses two put-back attempts. Rodriguez hits a lay-up on the other end. Sienna 35-29
• Some Stats for ya: Haddix leads all scorers with 15 points (7-8 shooting). Van Schaick only has two points (1-4 FG, 0-2 3Pt); Anthony Johnson has 12 points (6-7 FG) and three boards

- Keith Connors

Halftime at the Harbor: 33-29 Siena

At the half - Siena 33, Fairfield 29

• FU did a nice job in the final few minutes to get back within striking distance.
• Hasbrouck's long three attempt with time winding down is no good.
• Shake hits a streaking Anthony Johnson, who hits the floater in the lane. 33-29 Saints.
• 30 second timeout for Fairfield.
• Herbie gets trapped in the corner and looks helpless, but senior Danny Ogelsby gets the ref's attention and burns a timeout. Great awareness from the senior.
• Ogelsby hits a three in the corner off of a great look. 33-27 Saints.
• Haddix puts in a lay-in off of an o-reb. Not sure what happened there. I think the Stags thought it was a shot clock violation.
• Roi Buchbinder checks it. He has played limited time all year and has rarely seen any looks. Interesting.
• Siena is undefeated in their last four games - with wins over St. Peter's and Iona twice in their most recent stretch.

- Keith Connors

31-24 Saints; 1:55 in the 1st

• Cooley takes a timeout to try to rally the troops
• More of the same from the Saints - Haddix gets the ball down-low and he lays it in. 31-24 Siena.
• Nice hustle play from Tay Fisher. The ball was going out of bounds and Van Schaick gave pup on it a little. He hit the ball off of Shake's foot as he fell over the media table - giving the Saints the ball.
• Han gets called on a foul on the floor - apparently he poked Fisher in the eye. Fisher nails the first, but whiffs on the second. 28-24 Siena.
• Shake forces an awkward shot after a pump fake and air balls it.
• Franklin is called on a walk after a nice post-up move. Stags ball.

- Keith Connors

28-24 Saints; 3:54 in the 1st

• Fisher is called on a hold before the in-bound. That's six for Siena.
• Franklin converts both shots from the charity stripe. Saints lead 28-24.
• Mamadou misses a ten-foot jumper after a nice play. On the other end, he fouls Franklin in what would've been an easy too. A nice job by Diakhate.
• Fisher hits a three off of a pick-and-pop two-man game at the top of the arc. 26-24 Stags.
• They in-bound the ball on a floater pass that Anthony Johnson grabs and puts in. Stags regain the lead. 24-23 FU.
• Haddix gets another easy look and a lay-up on blow coverage. 23-22 Saints.
• Nero hits Anthony Johnson for an easy lay-in. Stags 22-21
• Herbie drives a cut, but misses Peanut and turns the ball over. Haddix hits a hook over him on the other end.
• Herbie Misses a three in the corner, but Franklin has trouble holding on the board and travels.
• Happy Valentine's Day to all you lovers out there. There's no better way to spend it then to cuddle with your favorite Stag and listen to the game and read the Mirror Sports' Live Game Log from Keith Connors! Am I right?
• I've gone too far.

- Keith Connors

20-19 Stags; 7:47 in the 1st

• Media T.O.
• Nero tries to take a charge from Haddix, but is called on a block.
• Fisher gives a nice no-look feed right in front of our desks at court side to Hasbrouck. 20-19 FU.
• Van Schaick misses an awkward three, but Greg Nero does a fine job pulling down a tough board by staying in bound and putting it up. Haddix hits a quick shot on the other end again. 20-17 FU.
• Haddix hits a fade away jumper from the post. 18-15 Stags.
• Great work on the offensive side - Shake gets a nice look and feeds it to a wide-open Nero, who was free after a D slide.
• Han gets called on a foul - looked like a clean steal to me. Fisher heads to the line and hits both. 16-13 FU.
• Stats of Note: Siena is #1 in the MAAC in scoring; the Stags are the tops in defense. A great match-up of two very different teams good at different things.

- Keith Connors

16-11 Stags; 11:40 in the 1st

• DOUUUU. Mamadou hits a jumper - his first points in quite some time. 16-11 FU.
• Cory Magee grabs a Haddix miss and jams it in. 14-11 FU.
• Danny Ogelsby hits a three - followed by turnover that led to a Jon Han drive/miss that was put-back dunked by Anthony Johnson. Nice turn of events from Fairfield. 14-9 FU.
• One too many passes from a circling Sienna squad results in an errant pass - but it stays Siena ball. Hasbrouck misses a three and the Stags grab the board.
• Han drains a three from a pump fake and a pass by Ogeslby. The Stags tie the game. 9-9.
• Shake is good off a screen, but Hasbrouck answers quickly. Sienna 9-6.
• After an Ogelsby miss, Van Schaick grabs the board and gets it in to Peanut. A.J. hits the shot. Sienna 7-4.
• Haddix gets a put-in down low. It seems Siena will be going to him early and often tonight. Saints 7-2.
• Dapper Cooley watch: a grey shirt and a sweet grey striped tie. Classy. As always.

- Keith Connors

5-2 Saints; 15:35 in the 1st

• After Peanut picks off a pass (yes, I said it), Nero gets called for an offensive foul while backing up a defender in the post.
• Back-to-back turnovers from Siena on two bad passes.
• Haddix runs over the band leader's kid on an attempt to the get the ball before it went out of bounds. Ouchhh.
• Nero gets the ball stripped during a post-up move. Dave Ryan gets a nice look off of a skip pass and drains a three from the top of the key. 5-2 Siena.
• Anthony Johnson hits a 15-foot jumper from the paint and nails it. FU 2-2.
• Full-court press from FU early on (THANK YOU!) results in a turnover for Sienna.
• A. Johnson travels on the other end - moved his pivot foot a bit too much for the ref's liking.
• FU turns the ball over very quick. Anthony Johnson makes up for it was a nice block on Haddix, who got a great feed and a wide open look.
• Jumper from Edwin Ubiles falls off a screen. Sienna 2-0
• Red Sea tide: Low, but getting better. Tom and I came on a full bus - which is encouraging. Still barely even 100 in the crowd.
• Pre-game meal: Roast beef and mashed taters. An American classic...

- Keith Connors

A Preview of the Fairfield vs. Siena Game

In basketball and in life, you cannot live in the past. You need to forget things quickly, or else you’ll be down and out the next time.

On Sunday, the Stags did just that, rebounding from a loss to Marist earlier in the week and beating Loyola for the second time this year.

When Fairfield takes on Siena tonight, the Stags will look to continue their stellar MAAC play.

Like Marist and Loyola, Siena has a strong offense, averaging greater than 70 ppg.

However, Fairfield has a tenacious defense — a defense that has silenced quite a few offensively potent squads.

With three MAAC games left on the season, the Stags must continue to focus and play with intensity.

-Frank Romano

Inside the Numbers: Breaking Down the Stags Victory Over Loyola

Another great win for the Stags over Loyola in a week. Fairfield is rolling again, as the loss to Marist did not seem to affect its momentum. The next game against Siena is shaping up to be another big one, as the Saints are another top MAAC team and the Stags must defend their home court. With the win already over Siena, it would be nice for Fairfield to sweep both Loyola and Siena, as well as Niagara. Its too bad Fairfield played Manhattan earlier in the season, because a loss like the two they had to the Jaspers would not come at this point in the year.

The Stags looked ready to play and came out on all cylinders, jumping out to a big lead in the first half. They gave that lead away, but came right back in the second half, as the team took what Michael Van Schaick called a "good break" during halftime. The Stags went on a 9-3 run to start the half and then extended their lead to as much as 19 points.

The lead almost slipped away, but Fairfield was resilient and held on.

Van Schaick is like a completely different player, he can not be stopped, even with the box and one and players hanging all over him, he still mananges to score.

Tough defense by Devin Johnson was a key to the win, as again he and the rest of the Stags perimeter defenders held Gerald Brown way under his season average, as he scored only 12 points in the game.

A few key stats from the final box score:

• Fairfield shot 10-for-19 in the second half (52.6%) and 42.2% for the game. The Stags started the game slowly from behind the three point arc, with just 3-for-8 shooting in the first half, but were 5-for-7 in the second half, three of those by Van Schaick alone. Fairfield missed some key free throws, but had 24 opportunities in the second half, converting on 18 of those.
• Loyola on the other hand shot just 30.8 percent from the floor. They made just six shots in the first half and ten in the second half, with just five threes in the game. 22-for-26 free throw shooting (81.5%) saved the Greyhounds from being blown out.
• Fairfield held a rebounding edge most of the game, but could not come up with key rebounds down the stretch and finished with just 29 rebounds to 34 for Loyola, who had 19 one the offensive boards.
• Turnovers also killed the Stags in the second half, as they committed 10, while forcing just three. The first half was a different story, as Fairfield forced 17 turnovers, leading to 11 points.

Check www.fairfieldmirror.com later tonight for a game story, featuring post-game quotes from Head Coach Ed Cooley, Michael Van Schaick, and Anthony Johnson.

-Tom Cleary

Stags lead 58-46; 3:54 Remaining

Loyola is still hanging onto a hope of a comeback. The large comeback by Fairfield in the final minutes of last game is still fresh in the minds of both teams, so this game is far from over.

A long three by Van Schaick with the shot clock at 2 seemed to be the dagger for Loyola, but the Greyhounds continue to claw back into the game and still have a chance for a final charge, as the Stags just turned the ball over on a shot clock violation.

Van Schaick leads all scorers with 22 points, while Brown still leads the Greyhounds with 12. He has 4 fouls and is not in the game at this time. He has played just 25 points.

Patsos turns to the fans still here and applauds them, saying "I love you guys." Sadly despite the amount of fans that left, there are still probably more than at any Fairfield game at the Arena.

-Tom Cleary

Stags lead 51-34; 7:50 Remaining

Loyola students starting to leave in waves, as Fairfield now has a 17 point lead.

Michael Van Schaick now has 19 points, as he got wide open in the corner and a nice Jonathan Han bounce pass gave him the ball. He knocked down the shot, much to the displeasure of the home fans.

Loyola seems tired and is struggling on the defensive boards. Anthony Johnson tipped the ball out to Van Schaick to set up the three and then Marty O'Sullivan grabbed his own rebound on a missed 3, setting up two Anthony Johnson free throws.

-Tom Cleary

Stags Lead 46-32; 11:19 left

Fairfield allowed Loyola to score just 26 points in 26 minutes. With only six points in the first seven minutes of the second half.

Michael Van Schaick is again leading Fairfield in this game, with 16 points, but Nero is close behind with 12. Nero was left wide open for a 3 and knocked it down, his second of the game. Jonathan Han also has 6 points, and hit a open 3 after Van Schaick found him with the shot clock winding down.

Fairfield has a slim rebounding lead, 21-20 and has 10 turnovers to 14 for Loyola.

The Greyhounds are still shooting a terrible 27.3% from the floor.

-Tom Cleary

Stags lead 46-32; 11:43 Remaining in Game

Fairfield has jumped out to a 14 point lead, but as the Stags know no game is over early, as they climbed back from just as big of a deficit last time against the Greyhounds.

Jimmy Patsos picked up a technical foul yet again, leading to two free throws by Van Schaick. Gerald Brown has 4 fouls.

More at media timeout.

-Tom Cleary

Stags lead 33-25; 15:44 left in game

Fairfield went on a 9-2 run to start the half and now hold a 33-25 lead at the first media timeout. The first real emotion I have seen from Loyola Coach Jimmy Patsos came on the last play, when he was angered by a non-call on a shot by Brett Harvey, when he was knocked down.

Michael Van Schaick now has 11 points and Gerald Brown has 12.

-Tom Cleary

Stags lead 24-17; 2:22 remaining first half

Coach Ed Cooley calls a timeout after a shot clock violation and then a Gerald Brown layup. Stags are slowly letting Loyola back into the game with needless turnovers. They need to protect the ball better and execute their offense to keep a solid lead heading into the half.

As I say that, Greg Nero throws a cross court pass that misses its target out of bounds for another turnover.

-Tom Cleary

Stags led 24-14; 3:12 remaining first half

Loyola finally broke its scoring slump with one free throw with 6:25 left in the half. But the Greyhounds have scored just four points in the past nine minutes.

Fairfield struggled to make open layups, at one point Marty O'Sullivan missed 3 easy layups in a row. If they can make those shots, they will pull far ahead.

Loyola is still shooting a very low 22.2%, while the Stags have dropped to 36%. Van Schaick leads all scorers with nine points.

-Tom Cleary

Stags lead 20-10; 7:43 left in first half

Loyola has not scored in the past five minutes, but Fairfield has not taken as much advantage as it possibly could have. The Stags are playing very tough defense and have forced six turnovers, which they have turned into seven points.

Greg Nero hit four straight points after the last media timeout to take the team lead with seven points. Van Schaick increased his total to nine.

Loyola is now shooting 23.1% and turned the ball over on a bad pass to Omari Isreal before the media timeout.

-Tom Cleary

Stags 14-10; 11:14 left first half

The Stags went on a 10-0 run scoring the first five out of the last TV timeout, as Jonathan Han knocked down a three pointer and then Van Schaick stole the ball from the Greyhounds on the next possession and scored on a fast break lay-in.

Gerald Brown, who has 8 points, scored the next five for Loyola, on a three and two free throws. Brown stole the ball and drove the length of the court, before being fouled by Rich Flemming.

Van Schaick and Anthony Johnson lead all Stags scorers with 4 points each. Fairfield is shooting 46.2% from the floor, while holding Loyola to just 33.3%. The Stags are also outrebounding Loyola 6-5 and have one turnover, to the Greyhounds five.

Stags with the ball after the TO.

-Tom Cleary

9-5 Stags; 14:35 left

The game has been back and forth so far with neither side taking control. Fairfield has scored the last five points on a Greg Nero three pointer and Michael Van Schaick jumper at the shot clock buzzer. The Stags have the ball after the TV timeout off of a Loyola travel.

• Gerald Brown started the scoring for Loyola with a three pointer, it will be important for him to score for the Greyhounds to beat Fairfield. He also has one foul, he fouled out against Fairfield last time.
• Anthony Johnson had a big putback dunk and then tipped in another shot, which was called off for offensive goaltending, which Cooley angrily disagreed with.
  

-Tom Cleary

A Preview of the Fairfield vs. Loyola Game

This Sunday, Fairfield will look to build off its strong play against Marist on Thursday.

The Stags played brilliantly, but lost by one point on a questionable foul shot.

Like Marist, Loyola has a potent offense, averaging more than 70 ppg.

However, in Fairfield’s first outing versus each of these teams, the Stags’ stellar defense held opponents to well less than their scoring average.

Look for the Stags and the Greyhounds to play with intensity for 40 minutes straight.

It will be a dogfight, but Fairfield is more than ready.

-Frank Romano

Practice Update

The men’s basketball team hit the hardwood late this afternoon in preparation for its upcoming game against Loyola. The Stags had a light practice, but a long one. They started at 4 p.m. and worked until almost half past six. Today was my first time seeing Fairfield up close and personal, and I was very impressed.

•Despite a heartbreaking loss to Marist last night, the Stags showed no signs of slowing down. They got right to work, breaking up into teams and walking through their defensive plays.

•Coach Cooley and his staff were encouraging throughout, emphasizing communication, teamwork and repetition. Coach Cooley also stressed focus and attention at all times.

•At around 5 p.m., the squad walked through its offensive plays, then executed them at half-speed.

•I was very impressed with all the players’ hard work ethic. During both the defensive and offensive walk-throughs, multiple players asked questions and made adjustments. Every group of players sent out to do the motions worked as a unit.

•Toward the end of practice, Fairfield split into groups again, this time to work on foul shots.

•After foul shots, the team had a quick meeting. Coach Cooley reiterated the importance of preparedness, focus, intensity and discipline.

•To close out the workout, the Stags broke up into groups once more and cycled through the offense.

•What impressed me the most was the confidence each and every player demonstrated — a confidence the team will look to carry over to its Sunday showdown with the Greyhounds.

-Frank Romano

A Preview of the Fairfield vs. Marist Game: It’s Time to Go Fox Hunting

This Thursday, Fairfield will look to continue its strong play against top-ranked Marist.

If you think the Stags are intimidated, think again.

They’re hungry.

And they’re just coming off a huge victory against a solid Loyola team.

Look for the Stags to come out of the gate strong and with lots of intensity—and look for them to keep it that way.

Over the past seven games, Fairfield has been playing with authority, minute one to the end.

The Stags have executed on offense when it matters most, they have overcome deficits and they have played as a team.

Expect another strong showing come Thursday night.

-Frank Romano

Inside the Numbers: Breaking Down the Stags Victory Over Loyola

A very fun game to be at overall. I really enjoyed myself and had to hold myself back from cheering when Han hit that three pointer. It was definitely one of the best basketball games I have ever seen. Its too bad more Fairfield students weren't there to see it with me...

The way Loyola Head Coach Jimmy Patsos acted on the sideline made me want Fairfield to win even more. His actions are a disgrace to basketball coaching. If the referees had any guts, he would have been tossed out of the game a couple times in the final ten minutes.

Anyways, the game story is online now, check it out and be sure to look for even more in depth coverage on Thursday when the print edition hits the racks.

Here are a few interesting stats from tonight's game:

• Two keys to tonight's win: Defense and Rebounding. It was a matchup of the two top defensive teams in the MAAC and Fairfield was up to the test. First of all, Gerald Brown was held way under his scoring average with 13 points. Second of all, Loyola shot only 39.3% from the floor (Fairfield was even worse at 36.8%). Finally, Fairfield came up with nine turnovers in the second half, including four in the final three minutes. On the boards Fairfield, the worst defensive rebounding team in the MAAC, out rebound Loyola 37-34. None more important than Michael Van Schaick `07 grabbing an offensive rebound on his own missed free throw.
• Fairfield created 18 points off of turnovers.
• The Stags won in spite of their offense, which was at times dreadful. They finished with a 36.8 shooting percentage and were just 6-for-19 from three. Van Schaick was shut down by the Greyhounds box and 1 defense, which resulted in just 1 three pointer for the star senior.
• Anthony Johnson picked up his first career double double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He was 6-for-12 from the floor and could have easily finished with 16-18 points. He is an amazing athlete and should just continue to get better and better.

Marist on Thursday is the next test for the Stags, can they continue on this streak or not? I'm anxious to find out.

-Tom Cleary

Final from the Harbor: 65-62 Stags

• The last seven game win streak: 1985-86 season. What a great game!
• Cooley adds a, "This is our house!" yell, much to the delight of the crowd. A surreal moment at Harbor Yard.
• A final second attempt from James falls short, and the Stags win it.
• Loyola takes a timeout to draw up a miracle play. They find themselves down three with :03.7 to play.
• Han's got nineteen points and is doing a fantastic job at the point. What a night for the sophomore from Brooklyn, NY.
• Han hits the first shot to make it a two-point game, and then hit the second to make it three.

- Keith Connors

63-62 Stags; :03.7 in the 2nd

• This is loud as I have ever heard Harbor Yard! Wow!
• FU heads to the line with a chance to put the game on ice.
• Brown took it coast-to-coast and tried to lay it in, but misses the heave of a shot. Stags grab the board and get fouled hard.
• Han nails a three in the corner on a great look from Herbie! They ran a little give-and-go off of a screen from the top and got a wideopen look. Han drained it. 63-62
• Here's the Stags chance to tie it up.
• Han takes a charge! A great defensive play from Fairfield. The fourth straight turnover from Loyola.

- Keith Connors

62-60 Greyhounds; :46.9 in the 2nd

• Wow... what a game we have brewing. The Stags really need a stop right here to stay in this game.
• Stags need a stop. After some full court pressure, they force Alujevic and the Greyhounds to use a timeout.
• Allen hits a floater with 57.7 to go. Great play call. 62-60 Greyhounds.

- Keith Connors

62-58 Hounds; 1:12 in the 2nd

• Cooley calls a timeout after Shake's tremendous effort on that rebound.
• Wright holds Shake on a play call. Mr. Reliable, Van Schaick hits the first from the charity stripe, misses the second but grabs the o-reb. 62-58 Stags.
• Brown travels on a pump fake and hands the ball right back. 1:41 to play. Three straight turnovers from the Greyhojnds.
• Shake misses a three on one of his only open looks all night.
• A desperate shot from Alujevic with the shot clock winding down leads to a turnover. Cooley is amped!
• Han hits 'em both. 62-57 Stags, who really need a stop.
• Devin Johnson picks off a errant pass which leads to a FU fast break. Han is fouled on the floor by Israel, the Greyhounds' eighth foul of the half.

- Keith Connors

62-55 Hounds; 2:58 in the 2nd

• The Stags desperately need a defensive stand.
• Han dances around a little, then nails a three-pointer. 62-55 Hounds.
• On an offensive rebound, Brown finds Alujevic wide open down low for a put-in. 62-52 Loyola.
• Alujevic misses a three, which leads to a fast break that results in Herbie Allen hitting Anthony Johnson in the paint for a lay-in. 60-52 Hounds.
• Allen is fouled on a drive in the lane. He misses both shots. Another missed opportunity for Fairfield.
• The "picked fence" Hoosiers play works for Loyola as Sullivan hits a shot off the screen. 60-50 Hounds.

- Keith Connors

58-50; 5:22 in the 2nd

• Brown gets trapped in the corner (Fairfield is starting to go with a half-court trap), which forces Loyola to take a timeout.
• Johnson gets called on a "in the cylinder" violation on a Herbie miss.
• Brown drives and kicks it out to Sullivan, who misses the three. Stags get the ball on a turnover off the rebound.
• Shot clock violation on Loyola on a great defensive stand from the Stags. Patsos needs some happy pills. He makes Cooley like like a mute version of Coach K. And that's saying something.

- Keith Connors

58-50 Loyola; 7:27 in the 2nd

• Timeout Loyola (This guy is having a stroke)
• Anthony Johnson gets another put back off yet another Devin Johnson miss.
• Anthony Johnson tips it in off of a Devin Johnson miss down low. Stags make it a ten point game again. 56-46 Loyola.
• Full-court pressure from the Stags. The Hounds brake it and James lays it in. 58-46 Hounds.
• Jon Han pump fakes a pass and drives. It goes through to pull the Stags within ten. 56-46 Loyola.
• Israel is called on a technical? Not sure what happened there; the play was away from the ball. Probably a trash talking call or maybe he put his shoulder into somebody. Shake hits both. 56-44 Loyola.
• Brown goes to the line on a Mamadou hold. Brown hits both to put Loyola back up by eleven. 56-42 Loyola.
• Stags nab a quick two. 54-42 Hounds.
• Loyola's coach is a psycho. During the timeout, he chest pumped Alujevic and "raised the roof to the crowd". He looks like a cross between Don Nelson, Bobby Knight, and Gary Busey. Yikes. Anybody have a straight jacket?

- Keith Connors

54-40; 10:10 in the 2nd

• Gerald Brown hits an open three and nails it. Loyola 54-40.
• Harvey takes it all the way off a Shake turnover on a bobbled pass. Harvey is fouled by Peanut on the lay-in, and adds the free throw. 51-40 Hounds.
• Marty gets called on a hold, that's the teams seventh foul already. Alujevic makes the first, and adds the seconds. Loyola 48-40.
• Cooley's getting into it. The jacket is off! Oh boy
• Herbie Allen gets a kick-out in the corner and drains it. 46-40 Hounds.
• O'Sullivan is called for an over-the-back on a rebound. Sullivan comes off a screen, but misses the three.
• Han is called on a five-second inbound violation. Another Stag turnover. Loyola ball.

- Keith Connors

46-37 Hounds; 11:58 in the 2nd

• Harvey nails a three off of a kick-out pass. Loyola has its biggest lead of the night at nine points. 46-37 Hounds.
• Amazing cookies at halftime. They must have some Keebler elves back there.
• Cooley is trying to rally the troops during the timeout; despite a recent surge, Fairfield was scoreless in the first five+ minutes of the second half.

- Keith Connors

43-37 Hounds; 12:40 in the 2nd

• Wright hits a hook shot over Peanut to extend the Hounds' lead to eight. O'Sullivan answers with a wrap-around-lay-in from the post. 43-37 Hounds.
• WOW. After a Loyola put-in, Han connects with Anthony Johnson on a back-door alley oop to make it 41-35. Maybe the play of the year! Let's see if it can give Fairfield some momentum.
• A pair of turnovers leads to a FU fastbreak. Han takes it all the way and is fouled. From the line, Han hits both.
• Shake misses off of an in-bound and gives the ball back to the Greyhounds. Mamadou gets called for his third foul in literally fifteen seconds. Maybe less than that.. it's too hard to tell.
• Mamadou tries to take a charge, but is called on a hold. On the inbound, no one picks up Sullivan, who drains a three in the corner. 39-31 Hounds.
• O'Sullivan blocks Wright on a post-up to send the Stags on a fast break. To no avail, as Diakhate is called on an offensive foul.
• A few Loyola hecklers are in the crowd. Oh, those rowdy Marylanders. Wait, Marylands? Marylandites?

- Keith Connors

36-31 Hounds; 15:45 in the 2nd

• The Stags are scoreless thus far in the 2nd Half (4:15 into the half).
• After a pair of missed opportunities by both teams and a few fouls, Han gets called on a travel on a good look from Herbie. Loyola ball.
• Peanut called on a travel gives the ball right back to Loyola.
• Brown gets called on his fourth foul, and he'll have to check out. It was off of a rebound pulled down by Marty O'Sullivan.
• Alujevic hits a three in the corner off of a kick-out pass to put the Hounds up five. 36-31 Loyola.
• After a Gerald Brown miss, Nero is called on an offensive foul. Loyola ball.
• Gerald Brown called on a hold off the in-bound. That's his third. Something to keep an eye on down the stretch.
• Brown is fouled by Van Schaick on a fastbreak and makes the shot. On the "and one" attempt, Brown sinks it. 33-31 Hounds.
• A charge on Herbie Allen on the first possession of the second half sends the ball the other way.
• Stats at the Half: the Stags out rebounded Loyola 23-17. Loyola had eight personal fouls to Fairfield's five. The Stags shot 33% from the field and a paltry 3-for-12 from behind the arc. Gerald Brown, one of the nation's top scorers, was held to a mere five points.

- Keith Connors

Halftime at the Harbor: 31-30 FU

• More to come!
• Your score at the half: Fairfield 31, Loyola 30
• With time winding down, Herbie drives the lane but misses the "Marbury-esque" floater in the lane.
• Stags hold for last possession.
• Coach Cooley was upset that the D misses the play call on Loyola's open three.

- Keith Connors

31-30 Stags; :22.3 in the 1st

• Harvey hits a wide-open three on a botched defense and some miscommunication. 31-30 FU.
• Shake hits a jumper to extend the lead to four. 31-27 Stags.
• James throws the ball away after some tight defense. Mamadou and Devin Johnson both came in just for that defensive possession. Job well done. Stags ball.
• Nero gets called on the hold. Greyhounds ball.
• Peanut misses a dunk on a put-back and the Stags throw the ball away on a no-look pass attempt from Herbie.
• Stags due a fantastic job breaking Loyola's full court pressure. Textbook.
• On what appeared to be a clean block in the paint, Anthony Johnson is called on a shooting foul. Gerald Brown heads to the line and hits both shots. 29-27 Stags.
• Herbie gets called on a hold during the Hounds' play. That's only the Stags third foul all half.
• Cooley gets heated on a jump-ball call on a loose ball. Loyola maintained possession due to the call in their own end. (No playboards were harmed in the process)
• Van Schaick finally hits a three on a great screen. It looked like a pick-and-pop play off the ball. Stags are up four. 29-25 FU.
• Brown misses a three with Anthony Johnson in his face because of a switch.
• Shake forces a shot over Brown and air balls it.
• 28-27 UConn over 'Cuse right now. But really, who cares? The big game is Wednesday night at Cameron Indoor. :-)

- Keith Connors

26-25 Stags; 3:40 in the 1st

• Anthony Johnson's pass goes out of bounds off of the Greyhounds. Stags ball.
• Peanut is fouled on a put-back and heads to the line. He wiffs on both, but Devin Johnson grabs an offensive board. Nice work by the guard.
• Loyola continue s to shut off Shake. They are going to have to find a way to get him the ball more in the second half. After all, he is a second half player.
• An errant pass from Brown goes out of bounds. Stags ball.
• O'Sullivan makes both shots from the charity strip to make it a one-point lead. 26-25 FU.
• Israel misses a turnaround off of a post, and is then called on an "over-the-back". That's significant because, with five minutes left, Fairfield is now in a "one-and-one".
• O'Sullivan misses a wide-open three.
• Gerald Brown hits a three with Herbie in his face. Just great skill right there. 25-24 Hounds.
• Anthony Johnson puts a shoulder down on Wright's three attempt. The Stags are playing very fast and very physical today.
• After a Harvey miss on a three, Ogelsby wiffs on a lay-in. Luckily Peanut is right there to put it in. Stags lead again. 24-22 FU.
• Ogelsby pump fakes and drives on a nice look. My stat man Tom Cleary tells me those are his first points since the Fordham game. FU ties it up at 22-22.
• A flurry of offensive rebounds by Gerald Brown and Jawaan Wright leads to a tip-in. Loyola leads 22-20.
• Tom informs me that Gerald Brown is one in the top eight in scoring in the nation. At the moment, the Loyola (Md.) guard is averaging 22.5 ppg. Not too shabby.
• Dance team's new routine? One word: stagalicious.

- Keith Connors

20-20; 7:55 in the 1st

• Mamadou takes one step to many on the other end and is called on a walk. Loyola ball.
• Alujevic hits a three in the corner on a textbook demonstration on how to move the ball against a 2-3 zone. Fantastic job by the Hounds on that possession. 20-20 tie.
• Oop to Brown, who gets a little revenge. 20-17 Stags.
• On a rebound earlier, Mamadou had a little "altercation" with the Loyola's star player, Gerald Brown. Brown went down hard on the play. That's Mamadou for you. He's not afraid to mix it up.
• Great D from Mamadou and Shake on a trap play. With time winding down, Manning is calledd for a walk. The coaching staff and bench seemed thrilled with the effort. They look strong on D thus far.
• Marty O'Sullivan hits a three from the top of the key. He's been shooting the ball well lately, including from long-range. He had 13 a few nights ago in Buffalo. 20-15 Stags.
• Mamadou is back in the game. And I can hear him from over here.
• Herbie hits both and FU is back on top. 17-15 Stags.
• I see a "We <3>
• Plenty of alumni here today, a great sign for the school. People are starting to get excited about this team.
• Dapper Cooley watch: blue shirt and a sweet Fairfield red striped tie. Different. In a good way.

- Keith Connors

15-15 Tie; 10:54 in the 1st

• Stags are fouled on the ensuing possession.
• Herbie misses an open three on a nice look. Sullivan misses a three moments later.
• Van Schaick misses a three, but Herbie grabs the board and kicks it back out to him. Shake redeems himself and hits the jumper. 15-15
• The Stags switch to a 2-3 zone and get a nice stop on D.
• Where's Casper?
• The new Stag mascot is creepin' around here. I don't know about him. The jury is still out for me.

- Keith Connors

15-13 Hounds; 12:33 in the 1st

• Gerald Brown dives after a ball and takes a desperation timeout. The Greyhounds will retain possession.
• Marty O'Sullivan gets a nice look, but is called on a charge. Nice D from Loyola.
• The Greyhounds give the Stags a taste of their own medicine by putting on a full-court press.
• Jawaan Wright posts up on Nero and is fouled as he hits the turn-around jumper. Wright adds the freebie to make it 15-13 Loyola.
• It seems the early game plan for Coach Cooley is to get them running. After every in-bound the Stags are sprinting up court and pushing the tempo.
• Brett Harvey drives the lane and hits a lay-up for the Hounds. 13-12 Stags.
• Herbie adds the free throw on the "and one'. Stags are up 13-10.
• Loyola (Md.) is called on a technical on Coach Patsos. Shake hits them both to make it 12-10 Stags.
• On the fast break, Herbie Allen takes it coast-to-coast and hits a lay-up and the foul. And one!
• Gerald Brown is blocked by Anthony Johnson after great defense from Shake.
• Nice turnout at the Harbor. One of the bigger crowds I've seen all year.

- Keith Connors

10-8 Loyola; 15:31 in the 1st

• Sullivan hits another three on a kick-out following an Anthony Johnson miss and an ensuing fast break. Sullivan looks like a pure shooter. Loyola now leads.
• The Stags show some full court pressure. Loyola is timid at first, but Sullivan drains an open three to make it a one point game. Stags 8-7.
• Greg Nero posts up and nails an awkward shot and is fouled. Nice job by Nero hanging in there and getting a shot off. He adds the free throw to make it 8-4 FU.
• Omari Israel hits a hook shot in the lane. 5-4 Stags.
• Jon Han misses a three, but Anthony Johnson tips it in on a nice job under the board. 5-2 Stags.
• Peanut Johnson is fouled on a fast break attempt, but they call the foul on the floor. Stag ball.
• Jon Han nails a three from the top on a nice look. 3-2 Stags.
• Marquis Sullivan hits a jumper from the foul line off a screen. 2-0 Hounds.
• The Stags have trouble generating offense and turn the ball over early.
• Loyola comes out in a 2-3 zone.
• The "Voice of Men's Basketball at Fairfield", Mr. Jimmy Fitzgerald was honored by A.D. Gene Doris and the Fairfield athletics community. Congrats to a great man!
• Nice cheering section - including the men's lax team. Good to see the other teams helping out each other.
• Pre-game meal of lasagna and bread sticks. Mama mia!

- Keith Connors

A Preview of the Fairfield vs. Loyola Game

This Monday, Fairfield must continue to play strong when it takes on # 1 Loyola.

The game marks the first time these two teams have seen each other all year.

At this point in the season, every game is a difference maker — especially for the Stags, who currently sit in third place after several weeks of great basketball.

Monday’s game is one of three tough matchups in store for Fairfield this week. With #2 Marist on Thursday and Loyola again on Sunday, the Stags know what lies ahead.

However, all they need to do is continue playing as a unit and take things one game at a time.

-Frank Romano

A preview of the Fairfield vs. Canisius game

This Friday, Fairfield must carry its stellar play on the road as it travels to upstate N.Y.

Having won five straight, the Stags are firing on all cylinders now.

The Stags had a great win against Canisius early in the season, long before their current hot-streak.

However, since that time, the Golden Griffs have strung together a five-game run of their own. In the last two weeks alone, they knocked off Manhattan and Marist, who are currently at # 2 and # 3 in the MAAC, respectively.

Fairfield’s strong defense, coupled with its newfound confidence, is a potent combination.

Look for the Stags to continue their strong play and pick up where they left off.

-Frank Romano