Box Score

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Maurice Barrow recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds, while Derek Needham added a team-high 15 points to lead the Fairfield University men's basketball team to its ninth straight win, a 70-48 decision over Niagara University.

The winning streak is the longest streak since the 1961-62 team hit that mark en route to a 20-5 season. Fairfield's longest win streak stands at 13 games, set by the 1965-66 squad. And, the victory kept the Stags unbeaten in MAAC play, standing at 3-0 in the conference and 10-3 overall.

Niagara scored the game's first points when Kashief Edwards made one of two free throws for a 1-0 lead. Barrow put Fairfield in front with a jumper, and the Stags would not trail from that point. The Purple Eagles did tie the game at 3-3 after Scooter Gillette netted a jumper at the 17:10 mark.

Derek Needham responded with a jumper on Fairfield's next possession, and added another basket a few seconds later to give the Stags a 7-3 edge at the first media timeout. The Stags continued to build on their lead by scoring six of the next eight points, getting a hoop from Needham, Barrow, and Colin Nickerson, which made the score 13-5 with 12:03 on the clock.

The Purple Eagles managed to stay close for the next three minutes, trailing by only six points at 14-8 with nine minutes remaining in the opening half. Fairfield pushed the lead to double figures by scoring the next four points, two off a pair of free throws from Jamel Fields and another basket from Needham for an 18-8 advantage. The Stags did not relent and continued to add to their lead, finishing the half with a 12-4 run that increased the lead to 18 points at 30-12 before Niagara scored at the buzzer for a 30-14 halftime score.

The Stags' defensive effort marked the fifth time this year when the opponent did not score 20 points in the first half.

Nearly half of Fairfield's first half points came in the paint, with Barrow accounting for nine points. The rookie also contributed six rebounds in his 17 minutes of work. Kashief Edwards was the Purple Eagles high scorer with six points, as the team could muster only four first-half field goals.

Fairfield scored the first three points of the second half off a three-point play from Ryan Olander, making the score 33-14 less than minutes into the period. The lead would shrink to 15 points at 42-27, until the Stags went on a late scoring spree to put the game away. From that point, Fairfield outscored Niagara by a 19-6 count to take its biggest lead of the game at 61-33 with 4:44 on the clock.