Box Score

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Derek Needham scored a game-high 23 points, including 16 in the first half as the Fairfield University men's basketball team fell to Loyola University by a 65-60 count on Monday night at Webster Bank Arena. Amadou Sidibe added his second career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Stags.

The Stags took their biggest lead of the game in the first 90 seconds as the team scored the first five points. Loyola rallied to tie the game at 5-5 before Needham's jumper pushed Fairfield back in front at 7-5. Trailing by an 8-7 score, Cormier made a three-point shot at the 13:01 mark to give the Greyhounds their first lead of the game at 10-8.

Fairfield would fall behind by four at 18-14 before it put together a string of eight points that erased the deficit and provided the home team with its own four-point advantage. The Stags would maintain that edge at 24-20 with five minutes left before Loyola would tie it at 26-26. There would be three more ties and four lead changes in the final two minutes before the Greyhounds would take a one-point lead at halftime on Dylon Cormier's buzzer-beating jumper to make it a 33-32 game.

A three-point play to start the second half allowed the Greyhounds to start a 15-6 run through the first eight minutes which sent the lead to double figures at 48-38. The Stags came as close as four points five minutes later at 56-52 after Sidibe scored off a layup. Loyola ended the Stags come back with five straight points to build the lead back to nine points at 61-52 with 3:33 left.

Fairfield had one more rally left with six straight points that brought the team within a possession at 61-58 with 1:14 on the clock. The Greyhounds made four of six free throws in the final minute to keep Fairfield from making any further headway.

Cormier led all Loyola scorers with 21 points, including two three-point field goals. Erik Etherly just missed a double-double for Loyola, finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds.

The Stags will host Marist College on Thursday, January 24 at Webster Bank Arena for their next game. The game is slated for 7 pm.