Box Score

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Derek Needham scored 23 points, and Yorel Hawkins netted all eight of his points in the second half as the Fairfield University men's basketball team (19-5 overall, 12-2 MAAC) posted a 65-56 win over Manhattan College.

Fairfield took the lead when Needham made a three pointer two minutes into the game. The Jaspers finally put points on the board a few seconds later after Rhamel Brown used a lay up to cut the lead to 3-2. The Stags remained in front for the first seven minutes before Manhattan tied the game and took its first lead off a pair of free throws from Brown, giving the home team an 8-7 edge with 12:47 on the clock.

A pair of free throws from Keith Matthew pushed the Stags back in front at 9-8, but Manhattan regained the lead with two straight lay ups, the last of which gave the Jaspers their biggest lead of the half at 12-9. Fairfield answered with five straight points to overtake the Jaspers at 14-12, as Maurice Barrow's three-point play regained the lead.

The Stags still held that two-point advantage at 20-18 with 5:45 mark. From that point, Fairfield scored eight straight points off a three-pointer from Needham and another from Jamel Fields. Field followed his long-range jumper with a steal and a lay up to complete the 8-0 run, which made the Fairfield edge 10 points at 28-18. The double-digit lead was intact until the final minute when the Jaspers' George Beamon made one of two charity tosses to make the score 38-27, where it stood at half time.

The two teams traded baskets early in the second half before the Stags were able to nudge their lead up to 11 points at 44-33 after Fields' layup at the 15:07 mark. Manhattan made a significant run over the next three-plus minutes, scoring the next 12 points to take the lead at 45-44 with 11:25 remaining. Beamon's basket gave Manhattan its first lead since early in the first half.

Lyndon Jordan stopped the run with a three pointer at the 10:53 mark, pushing the Stags in front at 47-45. Brutus answered with a driving lay up to tie the score at 47-47 on the next Manhattan possession. The Stags scored the next six points to gain a little breathing room at 53-47 as Hawkins scored four points and Needham added a pair of points in the run. Brown stopped the spurt for Manhattan with a dunk at the 6:23 mark, but Barrow came back with a three-point play to increase the Stags' lead to 56-49 with six minutes left.

Manhattan refused to go away, answering the Barrow play with a three-point basket from Brutus to keep the game close at 56-52. Once again Hawkins had an answer with a jumper that stretched the lead back to six points at 58-52 with 4:49 on the clock. Manhattan would score four of the next five points to make it a one-possession game at 59-56 with 1:45 remaining.

Needham made two pressure free throws after being fouled on his way to the basket for a five-point Fairfield edge, 61-56 with 1:20 on the clock. The Stags picked up a defensive stop, resulting in Needham being fouled in the back court for a one-and-one situation. The sophomore netted both attempts to give the Stags a seven-point lead with 42 seconds remaining.

Beamon led all Manhattan scorers with 11 points, while Brutus also reached double figures with 10 points.

Fairfield completes its two-game road trip on Sunday when it heads to Saint Peter's. Game time is slated for 2 pm.