NEW BRITAIN, Conn. --  The statistics did not merit what the final result really was. Keeping the opposition to a field goal percentage under 40 percent and to a three-point field goal percentage under 30 percent would seem enough to win the game.

                But foul trouble and a deficit in rebounding proved too much for the Fairfield University men's basketball team to overcome in its season opener with Yale University as the Stags fell to the Bulldogs by a 70-57 count in the first game of the Connecticut 6 Classic. The setback was the first time that the Stags did not come out on a top in the seven-year history of the Classic.

                Fairfield was called for 26 fouls and seniors Marcus Gilbert and Coleman Johnson fouled out of the game. And, Yale enjoyed a 47-24 advantage on the boards, including 19 offensive rebounds that turned into 16 second-chance points.

                I think the fouls put our kids back on the heels,” Head Coach Sydney Johnson said. “Jerome (Segura) picked up two fouls early and Jerry (Johnson Jr.) also had two fouls early so that set us back. IF we don't have the guys who help us score on the floor, we have trouble.  Yale did a good job on the boards and we did a poor job. We need to be more aggressive going forward.”

Newcomer Scott King Jr. was highly effective at the start of the game before picking up his second foul with seven minutes remaining in the game. With him in the game, Fairfield held a 22-20 lead and the redshirt senior blocked three shots. After he took a seat on the bench, Yale went on a 15-4 run to close out the half.

                Yale's inside combination of Justin Sears and Brandon Sherrod were held scoreless under King's defensive play. But Sherrod took full advantage of King's foul trouble and scored 12 of the team's final 15 points of the first half, including 10 in a row. That personal run turned a 22-22 game into a 32-22 Bulldog lead, an advantage that Fairfield would not erase the rest of the way.

                Fairfield used the three-point shot to get things started in 2015-16 with Gilbert netting his first attempt of the new season. After Yale followed with four straight points, Gilbert added another three pointer to push Fairfield back in front 6-4 with 17:37 left in the half. Fairfield would lead by as many as five points in the half after Jerry Johnson Jr.'s jumper pushed the score to 11-6 at the first media timeout.

                Yale responded with eight straight points to pull ahead 14-11 over the next three minutes before Curtis Cobb converted a three-point field goal at the 12:54 mark, tying the score at 14-14. Gilbert added to the lead with a jumper and Cobb came back with another two-point basket to build the lead to 18-14 with 11:45 on the clock. The Stags would hold their last lead of the game after Matija Milin broke a 20-20 tie at the 7:26 mark, making it a 22-20 Fairfield advantage.

                After trailing by nine points at halftime, the Stags started the second half with a Johnson Jr. three pointer to cut the deficit to six points. But Fairfield would come no closer from that point as Yale built a lead that reached 24 points at 61-37 before the Stags were able to cut the lead back to 13 points by the end of the game.