Box Score
BALTIMORE, Md. – Four starters scored in double figures to lead the Fairfield University men's basketball team to a 68-51 win over Loyola University at Reitz Arena.
Rakim Sanders led all Fairfield scorers with 13 points while
Derek Needham (12 points),
Ryan Olander (11 points), and
Maurice Barrow (10 points) rounding out the foursome.
The win extended the Stags winning streak to five games, while the Greyhounds saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end. Fairfield held Loyola to a season-low 51 points with the previous low standing at 61 points on a couple of occasions.
Fairfield used its long-range shooting to secure an early lead, using back-to-back three pointers from
Ryan Olander and
Rakim Sanders to turn a 4-2 deficit into an 8-4 lead with just four minutes elapsed. Fairfield would continue to build on its lead with the three-point shot as Olander made his second jumper from beyond the arc at the 13:46 mark, giving the Stags a six-point edge at 12-6.
The Stags would continue to hold onto its six-point advantage, leading by that many three times with the last coming at 25-19. Loyola's Robert Olson kept the home team in the game early on by scoring 13 of the team's first 17 points, including three three-point shots in the first 10 minutes of the game.
Loyola changed their plan of attack and went inside which resulted in four quick points that brought the home team to within a pair of points at 25-23 after Dylon Cormier made two free throws after he was fouled going to the basket. Jordan Latham added another lay up to complete the mini run. Fairfield stemmed the run when Olander's jump hook found the mark at the 4:05 mark to make the score 27-23.
The team would trade free throws and hoops over the final four minutes resulting in Fairfield keeping that four-point edge at halftime as the team went into the locker room with the score standing at 31-27. Olander paced the Fairfield offense with eight points in the opening 20 minutes, as all eight Stags who played in the first half scored. Olson finished the half with 13 points, but did not score any points after his free throws at the 9:47 mark.
Olander opened the second half with his third three pointer of the game, giving the Stags their biggest lead of the game at 34-27.
Colin Nickerson followed with a driving layup to push the lead to nine points at 36-29, before Loyola finally got on the board off Jordan Latham's jumper at the 17:22 mark. Needham netted a three pointer to bring the lead to double digits at 39-29 with 17:05 on the clock.
Loyola put another pair of points on the board when Erik Etherly made his free throws, but those would be the last points for the Greyhounds for some time. Meanwhile, Fairfield would answer those charity tosses with two of its own from
Maurice Barrow, setting off a 12-0 run over the next five minutes that would bring the lead to 20 points at 51-31 with 11 minutes remaining. Sanders and
Keith Matthews would each score four points during the run, all of which came off slam dunks.
The Greyhounds put together a four-point possession when Etherly scored and was fouled. He missed the free throw but Loyola picked up the rebound. Etherly would eventually be fouled again, but this time he made both free throws to pull the Greyhounds within 16 at 51-35 with 10 minutes left. Barrow stopped the streak with a layup and Needham followed with a three pointer to push the lead to 21 points at 56-35. After another defensive stop, the Stags ran the deficit up to 23 points with Barrow scoring off a fast-break pass from
Jamel Fields to bring the score to 58-35 with 7:53 left.
Nickerson stepped to the line with 3:39 remaining and converted one of two to give the Stags their biggest lead at 65-41. Loyola made a brief run in the closing minutes mainly at the free throw line resulting in a 68-51 final.
Fairfield returns to the court on Wednesday when it hosts Saint Peter's College at Webster Bank Arena, the team's final home game of 2011-12. Prior to the game, the Fairfield community will honor the Stags' senior class.
