Box Score

                  HARTFORD, Conn. –  Rakim Sanders scored a team-high 20 points while Sean Crawford added 14 points off the bench as the Fairfield University men's basketball team nearly erased a 20-point halftime deficit before falling to eighth-ranked University of Connecticut by a 79-71 score at the XL Center. The Stags were within three points with a few minutes remaining, but the Huskies scored five straight points to end the comeback attempt.

                  The Stags were able to withstand the initial Connecticut offensive when  the Huskies opened the game with the first five points. Fairfield came right back with its own five-point run, the last of which came off Derek Needham's first three pointer of the game. The junior would keep the Stags close with two more three pointers that made the score 12-11 with 15:20 on the clock.

                  Fairfield still trailed by only a point at 16-15 with 13:09 on the clock after Rakim Sanders' drive to the basket was successful. But the Stags would stay stuck on the 15-point mark for nearly five minutes, which allowed the Huskies to score the next nine points, the first seven of which came off the hot hand of Shabazz Napier, which pushed the score 25-15 with 9:11 remaining.

                  Maurice Barrow finally broke the Fairfield scoring drought when he hit a top of the key jumper that closed the gap back to eight points at 25-17. The Huskies would take their biggest lead to that point with five quick points for a 30-17 advantage at the 7:35 mark. The Stags pulled back within eight at 30-22 when Sean Crawford put together his own scoring string with a three-point shot and a pair of free throws, which were granted after a technical foul was called on the UConn bench.

                  The Huskies would finish the final six-plus minutes of the half with a 16-4 run which ended on Andre Drummond's slam at the buzzer to give the home team a 46-26 lead at halftime.

                  Needham started the second half much like the first by hitting a three-point shot on the team's first possession. Drummond nearly erased that shot with a baseline jumper before Ryan Olander knocked down his first shot of the game at the 16:32 mark to make the score 48-31.

                  Desmond Wade went on his own personal assault against Connecticut by scoring 10 points in a 12-7 spurt that cut the lead down to 14 points at 57-43. Wade  hit two three pointers during that personal streak. Fairfield would continue to cut into that deficit, cutting the deficit to 13 points following an Olander dunk that made the score 61-48.

                  After a defensive stop, Fairfield came down the court and narrowed the gap to 10 points when Crawford knocked down his second three pointer of the half for a 61-51 UConn lead. Jamel Fields was fouled on the Stags next possession and made it an eight-point with a pair of free throws, before Drummond stopped a near-four minute with a bank shot which recaptured a 10-point lead at 63-53.

                  Fairfield would not relent in its second-half surge and came within six points at 65-59 following the second of back-to-back three pointers from Sanders. The Stags remained within six at 67-61 when Olander threw down a dunk at the 4:51 mark. UConn was able to rebound to rebuild the lead back to nine points at 71-62 with 3:52 on the clock.

                  Sanders swished a 12-footer to get the Stags within seven points with 3:39 remaining. After Boatright made one of two free throws, Crawford stepped to the three-point line again and netted his third of the half which brought the visitors back within five points at 72-67 at the 3:03 mark. Another drive by Sanders  turned the game into a one-possession game at 72-69. The Huskies answered with five points in 30 seconds – a three pointer from Boatright and a breakaway dunk by Lamb which turned the tide at 77-69 with 47 seconds left.  The eight point edge was where the game would end with the Huskies posting a 79-71 win.

                  Needham ended the game with 12 points with six assists against one turnover in 34 minutes. Wade also finished in double figures with 10 points. Napier led all scorers with 24 points, one of four UConn players to reach double digits in the contest.
                  Fairfield returns to action on December 28 when it heads to Drexel University.