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FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Despite holding a two-point lead at halftime, it wasn't until the second half when the Fairfield University men's basketball team finally took control of this game, resulting in a 73-52 win over the College of the Holy Cross at Alumni Hall. The game was sold out which gives the Stags a sell out in each of their first two home games.

The Stags jumped out to a 2-0 lead on their first possession as Derek Needham went to the basket for the game's first points. Holy Cross established itself by scoring eight of the next 10 points to double up Fairfield at 8-4 just three minutes into the game. The Crusaders held onto that narrow edge for the next six minutes before the home team finally recaptured the lead at 15-14 following a lay up by Adam Jones. Holy Cross answered back with a dunk from Devin Brown, before Ryan Olander slammed home a hoop to make the score 17-16.

The two teams traded baskets one again to keep Fairfield on top before Olander added another lay up to push the Stags' lead to three points with 7:27 remaining in the half. Fairfield would retain the lead until the five-minute mark when a three-point shot by Phil Beans tied the game at 25-25. The score remained tied at 29-29 but a pair of free throws by Olander broke the deadlock and sent the Stags into the locker room with a 31-29 advantage.

The Crusaders started the second half by netting the first five points to erase the small deficit and transform it into a 34-31 edge with 18:34 left. Beans hit another three-point shot in that start which gave the visitors another lead. Holy Cross continued to hold the upper hand for the next few minutes, but saw its lead evaporate after a lay up from Barrow made the score 37-36. Fairfield would not relinquish the lead from that point, steadily raising its advantage for the rest of the half.

After Barrow's lay up, Fairfield continued to apply pressure by a stifling defense that forced Holy Cross to miss seven of its next nine shots and turn the ball over three times. During that time, the Stags offense attacked the basket which helped them put together a 18-6 run that turned the one-point game into a 13-point Fairfield lead at 55-42 with nine minutes remaining.

Dave Dudzinski laid the ball in with 7:59 on the clock to bring Holy Cross within 11 points, the closest that the Crusaders would come for the rest of the game. After his basket, Fairfield would use a 18-4 run to more than double its lead at 73-48 with three minutes remaining. Nickerson scored five points while Sanders added four points during that late second-half surge.

Sanders and Olander finished the game with 13 points while Needham added 10 points for the Fairfield cause. Evans and Beans led all Holy Cross scorers with 14 points each.

Before the game, Needham was presented with a basketball to commemorate his 1,000th career point which happened in last year's National Invitation Tournament game at Colorado State.