Box Score

                NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Rakim Sanders recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds but a second-half surge by Iona College allowed the Gaels to post a 77-72 win at the Hynes Center. Iona erased a five-point halftime deficit behind 17 second-half points from Sean Armand.

                Mike Glover started the scoring with a layup just a minute into the game, and Scott Machado doubled that advantage with a pair of free throws. The Stags responded with nine straight points, all coming from behind the three-point arc. Derek Needham netted back-to-back long-range jumpers just 22 seconds apart for a 6-4 edge. Colin Nickerson followed with another three pointer to elevate the lead to 9-4.

                Glover answered with a three-point play to cut the deficit within one possession at 9=7 at the 16:13 mark. The Stags moved their attack inside with Rakim Sanders and Ryan Olander scoring from inside the lane for a 13-7 lead with just under 14 minutes left. Fairfield pushed the lead to eight points after Keith Matthews' three-point play made the score 21-13 with 11:57 remaining. At that point, Needham hobbled off the court and did not return to the game.

                The Gales used a quick 6-0 run over 80 seconds of clock that brought them back within two points at 21-19. Olander gave the Stags a little more breathing room with a jumper for a 23-19 advantage, but Jermel Jenkins' three pointer nearly erased that deficit on the next Iona possession. The Gaels would eventually take the lead on a put-back basket by Glover that made the score 29-28. Fairfield came right back down and recaptured the lead when Desmond Wade nailed a three pointer, his first points since February 9.

                Sanders and Jamel Fields tacked on five more points to regain the team's seven-point lead at 36-29 with 1:21 remaining. The Stags settled for a five-point edge at halftime after Iona added three points to its total in the final 34 seconds.

                The Stags started the second half by doubling the Gaels by a 4-2 count which helped the team recoup its eight-point lead at 42-34. Iona struck quickly with a three-point shot by Machado and a jumper by Rashad James to bring it back to a three-point game at 42-39 with 16:28 on the clock. Machado kept the rally going with a game-tying three-point play at 15:29, knotting the score at 42-42 with 15:29 remaining. After a Fairfield turnover, Iona took the lead on James' fast-break layup for a two-point Iona lead.

                Fairfield would eventually regain the lead when Olander netted a three-point shot with 11 minutes remaining that kicked the score up to 51-50. The Stags added a point to the lead after Sean Crawford made three free throws for a 58-56 advantage. Sean Armand made that lead disappear when he hit back-to-back three point shots to give Iona a 62-58 edge with 7:22 on the clock.

                The Stags showed their resiliency when Sanders scored on a layup and regained possession of the ball when Machado was called for his fourth foul on the offensive end of the court at the 6:40 mark. Fairfield regained the lead on Wade's three point shot to make it a 63-62 Stags lead. Armand continued his personal run by recording nine points around a layup from Sanders to make it a 71-65 lead at the 2:41 mark.

                Maurice Barrow stopped the run by making one of two free throws to bring the Stags back within five points at 71-66. Glover turned it into a three-possession game with his put back layup that made it a 73-66 lead.  Wade put the Stags back into the game with a three pointer at the 22-second mark for a 73-69 score. Fairfield was forced to foul and sent Jenkins to the line for a one-and-one and the senior made both ends for a 75-69 lead.

                Fairfield closes out the regular-season with a road game against Rider University on Sunday. The game is set for 3:30 pm and will be broadcasted on ESPN3.