Box Score POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Even the threat of a major winter storm, blizzard-like wind gusts, and frigid temperatures could not cool off the Fairfield University men's basketball shooting. After shooting 63 percent in the first half, the Stags shot 60 percent in the second half and 62 percent overall. With that type of shooting, Fairfield posted an 88-76 win over Marist for the team's fourth road win and 10th victory of the season.
Seven of Fairfield's eight scorers shot better than 50 percent from the floor in this game, including Matija Milin who netted all five of his field goal attempts for 12 points, his first double-digit game since posting 10 points against Wagner in mid-December. Curtis Cobb connected on 7 of 11 shots to set up a career-high 21 points. And, Tyler Nelson was efficient at the free throw line, making nine of 10 free throws to also reach 21 points for the night.
Despite the Stags' accurate shooting, Marist used the three-point shot to keep in the game. The Red Foxes made seven of its first 17 shots from behind the arc during the opening half, but the three pointer did not fall much after that as the team made five of its final 15 three-point tries.
The home team jumped out to an 11-4 lead with nine of those points coming from behind the arc. Their long-range shooting would foreshadow the team's first-half success, netting six more in the first half to finish with nine three pointers in 21 attempts.
The Stags were unfazed by the home team's fast start and quickly erased that deficit with 10 straight points that send them in front 14-11 with 14:19 left in the half. Tyler Nelson's three-pointer was the final points of that run, the second straight three pointer in the run. Curtis Cobb made a three pointer on the previous possession, which gave him eight of Fairfield's first 14 points.
Fairfield's lead reached five points at 23-18 with 10:35 left, the team's biggest lead of the first half. Marist used a 10-3 run to retake the lead at 28-26 after Khallid Hart's first points of the game. Hart and Marcus Gilbert came into the game as the number one and three scorers in the MAAC, but both teams shut down the other team's top scorers. Hart finished with six points while Gilbert was scoreless through the first 20 minutes.
Fairfield recaptured its five-point lead at 33-28 and 35-30 before Marist closed the half by scoring 12 of the next 18 points to secure at 42-41 lead at halftime.
The Red Foxes opened the half by scoring the first five points to pull ahead 47-41 before Nelson found the basket at the 18:04 mark. Fairfield would still trail by four points at 54-50 with 15 minutes remaining, but put together an 11-1 spurt that would send the Stags into the lead at 61-55 at the 11:56 mark.
The team would not relinquish the lead from that point, enjoying its double-digit lead at 81-71 with two minutes remaining after Gilbert netted a three pointer. The Stags scored their final seven points from the free throw line to earn the victory.
Fairfield will return to action when it hosts Iona College at 3:30 this Sunday. The game completes a doubleheader with the women's basketball team starting the day off at 1pm against Canisius College.
