Box Score
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Derek Needham scored a team-high 16 points, including the game-winning shot with 8.7 seconds remaining to lift the Fairfield University men's basketball team to a 61-59 win over Manhattan College. The Stags overcame a five-point deficit in the closing minutes to post the win.
Fairfield scored the first six points of the game as Yorel Hawkins, Jamel Fields and Ryan Olander found the bottom of the net in the opening three minutes. The Stags extended that lead to seven points after Derek Needham's first three-point shot of the game made the score 11-4 with 15:56 on the clock.
Manhattan climbed back into the game with six unanswered points which pulled the Jaspers within a point at 11-10. Maurice Barrow stopped the visitors run with a lay up which pushed the lead to 13-10. The Jaspers were able to tie the score at 13-13 and 15-15 before taking their first lead of the game at 17-15 after George Beamon's jumper fell through the hoop.
Fairfield fell behind by four points at 22-18 with six minutes remaining, but was able to rally and tied the score when Olander and Needham scored on consecutive possessions for a 22-22 score. The Stags regained the lead off a three pointer from Needham, but the 25-23 advantage was short lived as Beamon tied the game just 11 seconds later. Manhattan would score the final three points of the half to take a 28-25 lead into halftime.
The Stags opened the second half with a three-point from Olander that tied the game at 28-28. Kidani Brutus added a jumper for a two-point Manhattan lead. Fairfield took its first lead since the first half when Olander made one of two free throws and Barrow scored with a lay up that pushed the Stags in front at 31-30 with 18 minutes remaining.
From that point, the two teams would exchange the lead three times and be tied on three other occasions before Manhattan opened up a four-point advantage with back-to-back lay ups from Demetrius Jemison and Beamon, giving the visitors a 41-37 lead with 12:36 on the clock. The four-point advantage was still intact at 44-40, but that evaporated when Hawkins scored four quick points to tie the score at 44-44 with 10 minutes remaining.
Manhattan took the lead four times after Hawkins' mini-run but Fairfield tied the game each on its ensuing possession. The Stags finally broke that chain when they would finally gain an edge after two free throws from Needham made the score 54-52. A three-point shot from Nick Walsh gave the Jaspers the lead at 55-54 and a lay up from Rhamel Brown made the score 57=54 with three minutes remaining.
The Stags came up empty on its next few possessions, which enabled the Jaspers to increase its lead to five points after Michael Alvarado hit a jumper for a 59-54 lead with 1:32 on the clock. Hawkins trimmed the lead to three points with another foul-line jumper with a minute left. Fairfield started sending the Jaspers to the foul line and the strategy worked in that Alvarado and Walsh each missed the front end of a one-and-one situation, giving the home team hope.
After a Fairfield turnover, Manhattan had another opportunity to put the game away but Beamon missed the front end of a one-and-one. Olander was fouled on the rebound and calmly sank both ends of the one-and-one to make the score 59-58 with 25 seconds remaining. The Jaspers called a 30-second timeout to set up a play, but turned the ball over on the inbound pass.
With time ticking away, Needham hit a shot that sent the 3,000-plus fans into a frenzy, a NBA-range three pointer that gave the Stags a 61-59 lead with 8.7 seconds on the clock. The Jaspers had two shots in the closing seconds, but neither attempt fell.
Barrow just missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Olander finished the game with 14 points. Beamon led all scorers with 19 points for Manhattan.
The Stags return to action on Monday, January 31 when they host Canisius College at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard. Game time is slated for 7:30 pm. The game will also be televised on the MSG Network.
