Box Score

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Colin Nickerson scored 17 points and added eight rebounds with seven steals as the Fairfield University men's basketball team posted a 76-69 win over Austin Peay State University in a Sears BracketBusters game at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard.

The Stags fell behind early mainly because they had trouble putting the ball in the basket. Fairfield made one of its first 11 shots which enabled the Governors to take a 9-2 lead at the 13:59 mark. The 9-0 run ended when Nickerson stole the ball and went the length of the court to make the score 9-4.

The lead stood at 15-7 after TyShwan Edmondson made a pair of free throws at the 11:44 mark. The Stags made a run after those points, scoring 10 of the next 12 points to take its first lead of the game at 18-17 with 7:50 remaining. Fairfield would not give up the lead from that point, although Austin Peay was able to rally to tie the game on several occasions.

Fairfield's lead reached as many as seven points late in the half as Warren Edney's lay up made the score 32-25 at the 1:48 mark. The Governors scored finished with a flurry of four points before Needham's jumper closed the scoring at 34-29.

Austin Peay made a small run at the start of the second half, pulling within a point after TyShwan Edmondson's three pointer made the score 37-36 with 17:10 remaining. Fairfield went on an 11-0 run over the next three minutes to take its biggest lead at 48-36 with 15 minutes remaining. Derek Needham scored five points and Nickerson added four points during the run.

The Governors made their own run a few minutes later, outscoring Fairfield by a 20-8 count over the next seven minutes to tie the score at 56-56 with eight minutes left. Edmondson hit a couple of three point shots to aid the effort, but it was Tyrone Caldwell's jumper that tied the game.

With the score still tied at 58, Fairfield rebuilt its lead back to 10 points at 75-65 with 53 seconds remaining, seemingly putting the game out of reach.

Edmondson led all scorers with 29 points, hitting 10 of 18 shots from the floor. The Stags forced 25 turnovers in the game, the most by any opponent this season. Savannah State committed 23 turnovers earlier in the year. Fairfield scored 35 of its 76 points off turnovers.

Fairfield finished the non-conference season with an 8-3 record, winning four of five games at the Webster Bank Arena at Harboy Yard. The Stags will play their final home regular-season game on Friday night when they host Siena College. Before the game, Fairfield will honor its five seniors beginning at 6:30 pm.

Fans are also invited to wear red for the Red Sea Revival as ESPN2 will broadcast the game live.