Box Score

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The Fairfield University men's basketball team nearly overcame a 23-point deficit in the second half, cutting it to three with five minutes remaining, but could not come any closer in a 96-87 loss to Rider University.

Fairfield scored 57 points in the second half, outscoring the visitors by eight points in the final 20 minutes. But after whittling the lead down to three points at 75-72 with 4:54 on the clock, Rider put together five straight points off a three-point play, a steal which led to another lay up to make the score 80-72 with 4:14 remaining.

Nearly all the damage was done in the first half as the Broncs shot 53 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes. The two teams traded baskets in the opening minutes with five lead changes in the first two-plus minutes of the game. Yorel Hawkins gave the Stags the lead on the game's first possession, but Justin Robinson erased that lead with a three-point field goal. Maurice Barrow's put-back basket regained the lead for Fairfield at 4-3, but Novar Gadson answered with a lay up off an offensive rebound to make the score 5-4.

Hawkins answered with another jumper for a 6-5 edge, the last lead that Fairfield would hold in the half. Gadson responded once again, this time with a three pointer for an 8-6 lead. The basket would start a 9-0 Rider run that would push the visitors in front by a 14-8 margin. Fairfield stayed with the Broncs over the next seven minutes, trailing by only seven points at 24-17 with 10 minutes remaining.

Rider used a 16-5 run over the next four-plus minutes to take control by 18 points at 40-22 with 5:51 on the clock. The lead would reach as many as 23 points with three minutes remaining, but the Stags closed the half with six straight points to cut the Rider lead to 47-30 at halftime.

The Stags fell behind by 23 points with 18:39 remaining in the second half and still trailed by 22 a couple minutes later. It was from that point that Fairfield began what would have been its second miracle comeback in as many years. Last season, the Stags set a NCAA postseason record by overcoming a 27-point deficit in the second half to defeat George Mason in overtime as part of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

Fairfield first cut the lead to less than 10 points over a six-minute stretch which saw the Stags outscore the Broncs by a 17-4 margin, making the score. Derek Needham tallied six points during that run on a pair of three pointers, the last of which took the lead to nine points. Colin Nickerson added four points during that run as well.

Rider pushed back with a four-point spurt that made the deficit 13 points. However, the Stags doubled the Broncs over the next five minutes with a 20-10 run that trimmed the lead to just three points at 75-72. Fairfield used the three-point during that time frame, as Lyndon Jordan, Nickerson, and Needham each made a shot from the arc. Nickerson scored nine of the 20 points, as he scored all 12 of his points in the second half.

After Fairfield cut the lead to three points, Rider used a three-point play from Novar Gadson to gain some breathing room at 78-72. The Stags turned the ball over on their next possession, which resulted in a fast-break dunk from Jonathon Thompson. Fairfield did not come closer than six points the rest of the way, hitting that mark at 81-75 after Jordan secured another three-point shot.

Justin Robinson led all scorers with 26 points for Rider, while Olander added 23 points and eight rebounds for Fairfield. All five starters reached double figures in the game. The Stags also had five double-digit scorers, but three came off the bench to score their points – Nickerson (12 points), Jordan (11 points), and Warren Edney (10 points). The Fairfield bench outscored Rider's reserves by a 38-8 count.

Fairfield finished its four-game home stand with a 3-1 record, and now turns to the road for a pair of games next weekend. The trip starts with a game at Manhattan on Friday night, followed by second-place Saint Peter's on Sunday afternoon.