BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Marcus Gilbert scored a career-high 26 points, including six three-point field goals, while Amadou Sidibe added a personal-best 16 rebounds as the Fairfield University men's basketball team fell to the College of the Holy Cross by a 63-49 score at Webster Bank Arena.

The Stags never led in the game as the Crusaders opened the contest with five straight points over the first two minutes to take the early lead. Maurice Barrow put the Stags on the scoreboard with a layup at the 17:25 mark to make it a 5-2 Holy Cross advantage. Fairfield would come as close as two points after Marcus Gilbert made his first three pointer of the game that brought the home team within a basket at 9-7 with 14:39 on the clock.

The visitors answered with five straight points which sparked a 13-4 run that pushed the Holy Cross lead to double figures at 22-11 with 7:44 remaining. Eric Green netted five points during the run, including a three-point shot at the end of the stretch. Fairfield found its touch over the next five minutes and dropped the deficit to four points after Gilbert's third three pointer of the half, bringing the score to 24-20 at the 2:26 mark.

Holy Cross scored five of the final seven points of the period to enter the locker room with a 29-22 lead at halftime. Gilbert scored 15 of the team's 22 points as Barrow, Amadou Sidibe, and K.J. Rose were next in line with two points each. Green led all Holy Cross scorers in the opening half, coming off the bench to tally seven points.

After falling behind by 10 points with 12 minutes left, Fairfield scored eight straight points to cut the deficit to two points at 43-41 with 9:35 on the clock. A three-point shot by Cullen Hamilton ended the string of points, and Dave Dudzinski followed with a layup on the next possession to push the advantage back to seven points with 7:54 remaining.

Fairfield cut the lead back down to five points at 50-45 with 5:56 left, before Holy Cross finished the game with a 13-2 run to take its biggest lead of the game at 63-47 with 18 seconds left. Coleman Johnson scored off a layup as time expired for Fairfield, resulting in the 14-point loss.

Gilbert was the only Fairfield player to reach double figures in the game for Fairfield as Sidibe was next in line with six points. Hamilton and Malachi Alexander paced the Holy Cross offense with 13 points each.

Fairfield returns to the court on Saturday, November 23 when it plays defending national champion University of Louisville in the Naismith Hall of Fame Tip Off Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena.