BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Amadou Sidibe posted a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds as the Fairfield University men's basketball team dropped a 61-59 overtime decision to Loyola University Md. at the Barclays Center. The game was part of the Brooklyn Hoops Winter Festival.

                Loyola attacked inside early which proved effective as Franz Rassman posted four quick points to push the Greyhounds in front in the opening minute. Fairfield put points on the board a minute later after Amadou Sidibe offered a baby hook that found the bottom of the net. The Greyhounds took their biggest lead when Tyler Hubbard's three pointer swished through the net making it 7-2, and forcing the Stags to chip away for the next seven minutes.

                Fairfield finally got even when Mike Kirkland made three of four free throws to tie the game at 15-15, and took its first lead after Steve Johnston's first three pointer on the team's next possession. Loyola would trail the rest of the half with the Stags holding their biggest advantage at 29-23 following Tyler Nelson's putback basket off a missed free throw with one second left in the half.

                Both Kirkland and Johnston paced the Stags offense with six points each while Sidibe added five points and five rebounds in the first half.

                KJ Rose opened the second half with a free throw that presented Fairfield with its biggest lead at 30-23 but the Greyhounds responded with five quick points, the last of which came on a three-point play from Andrew Walker that cut the deficit to two points, 30-28 with 17:34 on the clock. Marcus Gilbert netted four straight points to build the lead back to six points at 34-28 with 15 minutes left.

                Gilbert continued to score when he added a three-point play to equal the Stags' biggest lead at 40-33 with 12:21 remaining. The Greyhounds had ample opportunity to make a dent in that deficit but wrapped two missed 1 and 1 chances around a pair of free throws that only erased two points, making it 40-35 with 10 minutes remaining.

                Tyler Hubbard went to the jump shot and used it well as the guard made a basket and followed up with a three-point field goal that brought the Greyhounds within a bucket at 42-40 at the 8:48 mark. Gilbert halted the momentum with a jumper to double the advantage at 44-40, but Loyola was not done yet. The Greyhounds came back within two points after Eric Laster's 18-footer and took the lead on another Hubbard three pointer, bringing the score to 45-44 with 7:12 on the clock.

                The two teams would combine for three lead changes and two ties which brought the teams to the benches knotted at 49-49 at the final media timeout. The game remained tied with 90 seconds left until Marcus Gilbert made a pair of free throws to push Fairfield in front 55-53. Loyola tied the game on a Laster jumper at 55-55.

                Both teams came up short on their final possessions which sent the Stags to overtime for the fourth time this year.

                Rose opened the overtime with a driving layup but Hubbard stepped up again from behind the arc to give Loyola a one-point edge at 58-57 with 3:37 on the clock. Sidibe took a pass from Gilbert and converted the layup to push the Stags in front at 59-58. Cam Gregory made one of two free throws with 50 seconds remaining to tie the game at 59-59.

                Once again, both teams had opportunities to take the lead but came up empty. Rassman finally broke that run with a put back layup with 0.9 seconds left to give the Greyhounds the lead at 61-59. The Stags called timeout to make one final attempt to score points. Rose took the inbound pass from Kirkland but his half-court shot did not hit the rim.