Box Score
Three players scored a dozen or more points and the Fairfield men's basketball team shot 42 percent from the field, but it was not enough in a 67-57 loss at the University of Minnesota on Thursday evening at Williams Arena. The loss drops the Stags to 1-2, while the Golden Gophers improve to 3-0.
Minnesota owned a 29-24 lead at the intermission, following a first-half that saw six lead changes and four ties. The Stags opened the second period with a Desmond Wade basket and followed a Ralph Sampson III basket with a conventional three-point play from Ryan Olander to get within two points, 31-29 85 seconds into the period.
Minnesota would score eight of the next 11 points to open a 39-32 advantage with 14:58 to play in the second-half. Fairfield crawled back to within four points twice over the six minutes, but was unable to draw any closer. Rakim Sanders basket with 9:48 to play made the score 45-41, but the Gophers scored the next five points to open a nine point edge, 50-41 (8:21) and the Stags were never closer than six points the remainder of the contest. Minnesota's largest lead of the game was the final margin when Andre Hollins sank a pair of free throws with 32 seconds remaining.
Olander and Sanders led the Stags scoring effort, each contributing 14 points. Olander was 8-11 at the line and contributed three blocked shots. Sanders had four rebounds, two steals and two assists to go with his 14 points. Wade had his best output as a Stag, shooting 6-8 from the field for a dozen points. He also added four boards and two assists.
Trevor Mbakwe had his third double-double of the year for Minnesota with a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. He converted just twice from the field, 2-7, but was a career-best 16-18 at the free throw line. Andre Hollins was the only other Gopher in double-figures with a 12-point effort.
Minnesota converted 27-31 from the free throw line, 87.1 percent, while shooting 19-41 from the field, with just two three pointers. The Golden Gophers outrebounded the Stags 30-25 on the night. Both teams turned the ball over often, with Minnesota committing 23 miscues to the Stags 20.
The first-half was a back-and-forth affair that saw Fairfield lead by as many as three points several time in the period. That last lead came on a Sanders lay-up with 4:14 remaining in the period, that made the score 23-20. Minnesota would end the half with a 9-1 run to take the five-point edge into the locker room.
Fairfield returns home for its only game at Alumni Hall this season when Holy Cross visits on Sunday for a 1 p.m. game. Tickets are available by calling the Fairfield ticket office at 203-254-4136.
