Box Score

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - It may dramatic to say that there was a moment in tonight's game that could be deemed a defining moment. But when the Fairfield University men's basketball team found itself down by 10 points in front of more than 5,000 people at Webster Bank Arena, it was gut check time. And, the Stags certainly responded, using a 27-5 run in the first half to erase that early deficit and take a 67-54 decision over Sacred Heart University in the season opener for both teams.

The game was the last of three games that was part of the Connecticut 6 Classic, giving Fairfield an unblemished 5-0 record in the five-year history of the event.

The two teams played each closely in the opening minutes as there were five lead changes before the Pioneers seemed to take control with its 16-6 edge at the 11:28 mark. But freshman Doug Chappell stepped up to the three-point line and netted his first collegiate points from behind the arc to pull Fairfield within seven points. Maurice Barrow followed with a layup and Chappell nailed another three pointer to bring the Stags back within two points at 16-14.

It was another newcomer that pushed Fairfield in the lead as Sean Grennan netted a three-point shot that made it a 17-16 game at the 6:55 mark. Marcus Gilbert tacked on two more points which gave the Stags their biggest lead to that point at 19-16. Fairfield's lead would reach 13 points at 33-20 before settling for the 10-point lead at 36-26.

Chris Evans made a free throw to start the second half that cut the lead to a single digit at 36-27. Amadou Sidibe followed with a three-point play with 17:10 remaining to start an 8-0 run to make the score 44-27 with 15:27 remaining. A few minutes later, Fairfield would gain its biggest lead of the game after Lincoln Davis' tallied a three-point shot for a 49-31 edge. The Stags would hold another 18-point lead at 50-32 before Sacred Heart began whittling away at the deficit until it would come as close as 10 points with 4:57 remaining at 56-46.

Fairfield regained control with a 10-2 run that made it a 66-48 lead with two minutes on the clock. The Pioneers scored six of the final seven points to cut it down to 67-54 by the final buzzer.

Defense was pivotal for the Stags as they held Sacred Heart to just 24.6 percent from the floor. The Pioneers shot 24.2 percent in the first half (8 of 33) and 25 percent in the second half (7 of 28). One of the reasons for the Pioneers woes was newcomer Malcolm Gilbert. The transfer from Pitt blocked eight shots to go along with his 11 rebounds and five points, giving him a solid debut with the Stags. Marcus Gilbert just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.

Louis Montes paced the Sacred Heart attack with 19 points, a total which led all scorers in the game.

Fairfield will return to the hardwood on Wednesday night when it will host the University of Hartford for a 7 pm game at Webster Bank Arena. Hartford opened its season with an 82-77 loss to Quinnipiac University in the first game of the Connecticut 6 Classic. The Classic includes six of the Division I schools in Connecticut playing a season-opening tripleheader. In the other game from this year's tripleheader, Yale defeated Central Connecticut by a 93-77 count.