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    Josip Mikulic scored a game-high 13 points as the Fairfield University men's basketball team fell to the University of Virginia by a 54-45 score in the first round of the Preseason NIT Tip-Off. Joe Harris paced Virginia with a game-high 15 points, including 11 in the second half. 

               The Stags opened up the game with an early lead as Josip Mikulic made a top-of-the-key three pointer for a 3-0 edge. Fairfield improved on that margin when Keith Matthews and Desmond Wade wrapped a layup and a three-pointer around a pair of free throws from Virginia's Harris. The Stags defense did not relent until Mike Tobey's cut to the basket resulted in a layup for the Cavaliers' first basket of the game at the 12:19 mark.

                The Cavaliers found their collective stroke and started to cut into the lead over the next four minutes. First, Fairfield took its biggest lead to that point when Mikulic made his second three pointer to stretch the Stags' lead to 11-4. From that point, Virginia started making shots, four in a row to be exact that enabled the home team to cut the lead to two points at 15-13 with 7:53 on the clock. Tobey was primarily responsible for the run, adding a pair of jumpers in that run.

                Fairfield's defense kicked in and forced and pair of turnovers that resulted in four points courtesy of baskets from Maurice Barrow and Derek Needham, making the score 19-13. A pair of free throws from Harris pulled Virginia back to within four points before Fairfield matched its biggest lead off a three-point shot from Wade to make it a 22-15 game.

                Evan Nolte answered with four points by himself, a post-up layup and a pair of free throws that brought the Cavaliers back to three points at 22-19. The two teams traded three pointers to keep it a three point game before Fairfield doubled the advantage to 28-22 off another three pointer from Mikulic. The lead remained at six points at 30-24 before Akil Mitchell laid the ball in the basket for Virginia with three seconds left. The Stags inbounded the ball but it was stolen and laid in by Nolte to close the gap at 30-28 as time expired.

                Fairfield came out and scored the first basket of the half on Mikulic's jumper to make it 32-28. The Cavaliers tallied the next five points on two jumpers from Harris and a free throw from Jesperson that gave the team its first lead of the game at 33-32 with 17:02 remaining in the half. The Stags regained the lead off Needham's three-point shot to make it 35-33 at the 16:40 mark.

                Harris tied the game and gave his team the advantage when he scored on back-to-back possessions for a 37-35 margin. Virginia would raise its lead to five points before a pair of free throws and a steal with a layup from Nickerson cut the lead to 42-41 with 8:41 remaining.

                After the two teams traded baskets, the Cavaliers scored the next five points to take their biggest lead to that point at 49-43. Mikulic stopped the run with a layup at the 5:19 mark, but it would be the last points scored for the Stags. Over the final five minutes, Virginia went on a 5-0 run that put the final margin at nine points, 54-45.
                Needham and Wade had identical numbers with 10 points and four assists each for Fairfield. Akil Mitchell netted 12 markers and secured eight rebounds for Virginia.

                The Stags will play their second round game against Penn at 4:30 pm.