Box Score

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - K.J. Rose led all Stags scorers with 14 points as the Fairfield University men's basketball team (1-1 overall) suffered its first setback of the season with a 63-53 decision against the University of Hartford (1-2 overall). The game was the first of four contests that the Stags will play as part of the 2013 Naismith Hall of Fame Tip Off. Fairfield will host the College of the Holy Cross on November 20 at Webster Bank Arena before taking on the University of Louisville and the University of North Carolina or the University of Richmond on November 23 and 24, respectively.

The three-point shot played a pivotal part in tonight's decision. While Hartford made just two more long-range jumpers, it seemed the ones that they made wreaked havoc with any momentum Fairfield was able to muster during the game. Fairfield trailed early in the contest, but was able to overcome the four-point deficit with a dunk by Malcolm Gilbert and a three-point field goal from Rose to make it 7-6 in Fairfield's favor.

After Yasin Kolo made one of two free throws to tie the game, Fairfield regained the edge on Malcolm Gilbert's layup that made it 9-7. The layup would kick start a 6-1 run for the Stags which provided the team with its biggest lead of the game at five points, 13-8 with 8:25 remaining. A free throw followed by a three pointer from Mark Nwakamma quickly cut the deficit down to a point at 13-12. After a layup from Sean Grennan, Hartford tied the game on Wes Cole's three pointer to make it 15-15 with just under seven minutes remaining.

Rose and Amadou Sidibe pushed the lead back to five for Fairfield with a three-point shot and a layup, respectively at 20-15. Nwakamma slashed the advantage to two points with another three-point field goal and added another long-range shot on the next possession that made it 22-21 with 4:41 on the clock. The Hawks eventually took the lead back when Kolo nailed a three-point shot at the 2:51 mark for a 26-24 lead. That shot would begin a 10-0 run that would give the visitors a nine-point lead at 33-24 with less than a minute remaining in the half.

The Stags would start the second half with a strong run in the opening four minutes that would turn the six-point halftime deficit into a three-point disadvantage with 16:10 left. Hartford would use an 8-2 spurt to grab the momentum back as Kolo knocked down two more three-point field goals to push the lead back to nine points at 45-36 just two minutes later.

Fairfield would not come closer than six points the rest of the way, hitting that mark at 52-46 with 9:42 remaining and 59-53 with 2:42 on the clock.

Nwakamma finished with a double-double, registering 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Kolo added a career-high 20 points to help the Hartford cause. Amadou Sidibe added eight points and eight rebounds for Fairfield.

The Stags will play their first road game of the year when they head to Loyola University, Md. for a Saturday night match up with the Greyhounds. Game time is slated for 8 pm. The contest will air live on MASN and SNY.