WEBSTER BANK ARENA – When you play a team that ranks third in the country for scoring and can score in the 80s consistently, you set a goal to keep them in the 70s. Head Coach Sydney Johnson saw his team reach that goal but also witnessed his team struggle offensively. When you put the two together, you don't end up with the result you hoped for as a team. And tonight's result went the way of Iona College as the Gaels posted a 72-57 decision over Fairfield University.

                “It's disappointing,” Head Coach Sydney Johnson said. “We wanted to have a good performance tonight especially in front of a TV audience (ESPN3). When Iona got ahead, I think we lost our focus and Iona made us pay.”

                That lack of focus may have been at the heart of Iona's success offensively. The Gaels found ways to score inside and outside which resulted in the team shooting 53 percent from the floor making at least half its shots in both halves. The Stags defense was able to force 11 turnovers which at times helped limit Iona's possessions.

                The Gaels opened the first half with four quick points on back-to-back layups from Kelvin Amayo. The Stags were able to rally with layups from Mike Kirkland and Jerome Segura, tying the score at 4-4 with 17:45 on the clock. Schadrac Casimir broke the tie with a three-pointer, the first of three baskets from beyond the arc for the freshman.

                Amadou Sidibe kept the Stags close with another basket inside the lane to make it a one-point game before Iona started to pull away with a 10-4 spurt that brought the lead to seven points. The Stags trimmed a pair of points off the deficit when Segura's drive found the bottom of the net , making it 17-12 at the 12:54 mark.

                Iona outscored Fairfield by a 13-4 count over the next five minutes to take its biggest lead to that point at 30-14. Casimir posted seven points during the stretch, while Jeylani Dublin closed out the run with a layup. The basket by Dublin was the first of four straight by the graduate student which raised the Iona lead to 16 points, and that's where it would stay at halftime 38-22.

                Kirkland led all scorers with 14 points, connecting on six of 10 shots from the floor. Casimir paced the Iona offense with 13 points, making all three of his three-point attempts in the opening 20 minutes.

                Kirkland did not stop his offensive showcase in the second half either, adding nine points to his first-half total which resulted in the junior registering his first double-double as a Stag with 23 points and 13 rebounds, both career highs for the forward.

                The Stags were able to shave a couple points of the halftime deficit, pulling with 14 points just four minutes into the half at 45-31 after Tyler Nelson made his only three-point field goal of the game. Still trailing by 14 points a few minutes later, the Stags saw the Gaels score seven straight points to take command at 55-34 with 13 minutes remaining.

                The Iona lead reached 26 points with six minutes left before Fairfield finished the game with a 17-6 run that cut the lead to 72-57 at the final buzzer.

                Nelson ended the game with nine points while Segura collected eight points for the Stags. Three Iona starters reached double figures highlighted by a double-double for David Laury with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Kelvin Amayo and Schadrac Casimir tied for the team high in scoring with 19 points each.

                The Stags have a quick turnaround as they host Quinnipiac University at Webster Bank Arena on Friday night. Tip-off is set for 8 pm. The game completes a doubleheader with the Fairfield women's basketball team hosting Canisius at 5 pm. Tickets for the doubleheader are available at www.ticketmaster.com or at the Webster Bank Arena box office.