PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – The Fairfield University men's basketball team netted a school-record 17 three-point field goals that propelled the Stags to a 113-74 win over the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore on Tuesday night. The Stags shot 42 percent from three-point range (17 of 41) and 57 percent from the floor. It was the most three-point field goals since the Stags posted 16 against Rider during the 2005-06 season.

                Marcus Gilbert led all scorers with 32 points while Tyler Nelson added 20 points and Jerry Johnson Jr. connected for 19 points. Five Fairfield student-athletes reached double figures, the second straight game that the Stags accomplished that task. The 113 points were the most scored by a Fairfield team since the 1977-78 team beat Holy Cross by a 123-103 margin.

                “I think we committed ourselves to a way that rewards our shooters and rewards our unselfishness,” Head Coach Sydney Johnson said. “That's the way we want to play. I am thinking of Colin, (Nickerson), Derek (Needham), and Des (Wade) and how they were able to make us go. We have some guard play with Jerome (Segura), Tyler (Nelson), Jerry (Johnson) and Curtis (Cobb) that allows us to go. Guards are critical. To the degree that we scored, I can't say that I have seen that. But I have seen that type of guard play while I have coached here.”

                The game started innocent enough with Fairfield scoring nine of the first 11 points over the first four minutes. UMES rallied to cut the lead back to two points at 14-12 with 11:46 remaining in the half. That's when the game turned as Fairfield scored the next 23 points to grab control of the contest at 37-12 with five minutes remaining.

                Johnson Jr. was right in the middle of the run, scoring 10 of his 13 first-half points during that decisive run, while Nelson posted five points to support Johnson Jr.'s output. The scoring drought ended for UMES when Joshu'a Warren netted a pair of free throws with 4:48 on the clock. Ironically, Warren was the last Hawk to score before Fairfield's run started, hitting a jumper with 11:46 remaining in the half.

                Fairfield's first-half lead reached as many as 27 points at 47-20 before the Hawks ended the half with back-to-back three-point field goals to pull within 21 points by intermission. Before those two long-range jumpers, UMES made 1 of 13 three pointers in the half.

                The Stags lead continued to grow incrementally through the rest of the game. After UMES' Devin Martin scored to start the second half, Fairfield tallied the next five points off a three pointer from Marcus Gilbert and a layup from Nelson. Slowly, Fairfield pushed its advantage to 30 points following Scott King Jr.'s layup which made the score 76-46 with 12 minutes remaining.

                The Hawks came within 28 points a minute later, but the Stags reeled off six points in a row from Johnson Jr. Fairfield kept adding to its lead until it reached a game-high 41 in the closing seconds as Kevin Degnan's three pointer made the score 113-72 with 19 seconds remaining. Marc Seylan finished the scoring for UMES with a layup with 13 seconds left to make the final score 113-74.

                The last time that Fairfield scored 100 points in a game came in the 2009-10 season when the Stags came from more than 27 points down against George Mason, winning the game 101-96 in overtime in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).

                The Stags will return home for their next game, hosting Columbia University at Alumni Hall on Friday. Game time is slated for 5 pm.