Box Score GREEN BAY, Wisc. – Steve Smith and Marcus Gilbert each scored 15 points as the Fairfield University men's basketball team (2-9 overall) fell to Green Bay (8-3 overall) by a 74-58 count on the road. Phoenix center Alex Brown led all scorers with 40 points, making 12 of 17 field goal attempts and 14 of 15 free throws to tally his career high.

The first half was a battle between Fairfield's Smith and Green Bay's Brown. Each time Brown scored a run of points, Smith seemed to stop that momentum with a three-point field goal. Brown finished the half with 19 points, while Smith netted a career-best 12 points in the first half alone.

The Stags jumped out to a 3-0 lead as Marcus Gilbert squared his shoulders and hit an open three pointer to push the visitors in front. Fairfield still led at 4-2 before Brown nailed a three-point field goal to give the Phoenix its first lead at 5-4. Green Bay would not surrender the lead the rest of the game, but Fairfield did what it could to stay in stride with its host.

The Phoenix would slowly build upon its lead until it reached its peak at 23-12 after Keifer Sykes made one of two free throws with 8:43 remaining. From that point, Smith took over for the Stags as he netted consecutive three-point field goals to cut the lead in half at 23-18 with 7:27 on the clock. Brown stopped that mini Stag run with a layup to make it 25-18. Smith and Maurice Barrow combined for two more three pointers to bring the Stags within a point at 25-24 at the 5:12 mark.

Carrington Love ended that Fairfield spurt with his own three pointer and Brown added five straight points as the lead was increased to nine points at 33-24 with 2:05 remaining. Smith made his fourth three-point field goal in as many tries to cut it to 33-27 before Brown closed the scoring with a corner jumper that ended the first half scoring and sent the Phoenix into the locker room with a 35-27 lead.

The Stags made nine field goals in the opening half with six of those coming from behind the three-point line. The two teams ended the half with 19 rebounds each. Fairfield shot 31 percent from the floor in the opening half (9 of 29) but 50 percent from behind the three-point arc (6 of 12).

Fairfield managed to hang within six points for most of the first eight minutes of the second half mainly because it was able to continue to make three pointers. In that time frame, Marcus Gilbert made three shots from behind the arc that kept Fairfield close. The second Gilbert three pointer brought the score to 41-36 with 16:34 remaining.

Green Bay doubled up the Stags over the six minutes, outscoring the visitors by a 16-8 count that pushed the lead back to double figures at 57-44. Fairfield would come within eight points at 58-50 with seven minutes remaining. The Phoenix would finish the game with another 16-8 run that would put the final score at 74-58.

Smith scored all of his points from behind the three-point line, making five of seven attempts from long range. Gilbert posted his 15 points with four three pointers and three free throws. Both Maurice Barrow and Amadou Sidibe grabbed 10 rebounds for the Stags.

The Stags will return to the court on December 28 when they play the second of a four-game road swing. Fairfield heads to Bucknell University next Saturday for an afternoon game before resuming Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play at Marist on January 2.