Box Score

            Four Fairfield student-athletes reached double figures but it was not enough to overcome Niagara University as the Stags dropped a 71-67 decision to the Purple Eagles at the Gallagher Center. The loss ended Fairfield's six-game overall winning streak and five-game road winning streak.
 
            Niagara took advantage of some early turnovers which the Purple Eagles turned into 11 points and a nine-point lead with 16:40 remaining in the first half. The game turned when Desmond Wade made a long three-point field goal from the top of the key that made it an 11-5 game. More importantly, it extended the Purple Eagles' defense which opened up the inside.
 
            Fairfield took advantage of that opening, especially Keith Matthews. He followed Wade's three pointer with a driving layup to pull with four points. Derek Needham continued the run with a transition basket to bring the Stags within two points at 11-9. The run ended when Colin Nickerson netted a three-point field to push the Stags in front at 12-11 with 12:53 remaining.
 
            Niagara regained the lead off Juan'ya Green's basket, but Matthews answered with another layup to regain the Stags' lead at 14-13. The Purple Eagles tallied the next four points on back-to-back baskets from Devon White with 10 minutes remaining. Niagara would not lose the lead the rest of the way, rebuilding its edge to as many as five points at 31-26 with 2:24 remaining.
 
            Fairfield closed out the half by scoring five straight points beginning with Josip Mikulic's three pointer and ending with Matthew's layup to send both teams into the locker rooms tied at 31-31.
 
            The Stags opened the second half with a pair of points off a basket from Wade. Fairfield would build that to a three-point edge at 36-33 with 17:11 remaining in the game. Niagara scored six straight points to grab its own three-point advantage with the big play coming off a four-point play by Green. The Stags were not done and used six points of their own to secure a 42-39 advantage with 13:31 on the clock. Needham was responsible for four of those Fairfield six points.
 
            The visitors kept that three point lead until the 9:31 mark as White converted a traditional three-point play to tie the game at 49-49. The game would be tied two more times at 51 and 53 before Green's two free throws with 7:54 left put the home team in front for good at 55-53.
 
            The Purple Eagles would go ahead as many as six points at 68-62 with 39 seconds remaining but Fairfield would not quit. Wade made a three-pointer to cut the lead in half at 68-65 with 27 seconds. Marcus Gilbert brought Fairfield at its closest with his layup, making it a 69-67 score but Green posted a pair of free throws with 14 seconds to ice the game.
 
            Green was responsible for 13 of the team's 37 free throws in the game, as the Purple Eagles converted 27 points from the line. The Stags only went to the line 15 times and netted six from the stripe.
 
            Matthews scored 12 points for the Stags while Wade and Nickerson each added 11 points. Green led all scorers with 31 points with Mason adding 11 markers for Niagara.