RALEIGH, N.C. – The Fairfield University men's basketball team faced two long runs by North Carolina State in each half of Sunday afternoon's game. The first one was a 19-0 stretch from which the Stags were able to recover and keep the Wolfpack on their heels. The second one was a 15-0 spurt that proved to be the difference in this game as it turned a 10-point NC State lead into a 25-point advantage late in the second half. The Stags kept close for 30 minutes before the Wolfpack grabbed momentum midway through the second half to post a 99-78 win over Fairfield.
Tyler Nelson led all Fairfield scorers with 23 points and secured his 1,000th career point early in the first half. The junior was one of three double-digit scorers, joining Jerry Johnson (17 points) and Curtis Cobb (14 points).
The Stags did not show any concern about playing an ACC team on its home court, scoring on its first possession when Amadou Sidibe netted a jumper. After a pair of free throws tied the game, Nelson connected from three-point range to push Fairfield back in front at 5-2. The Wolfpack tied the game on Terry Henderson's three-point field goal, the first of three ties. The last of those ties came at 15-15 after Jerry Johnson Jr. made a three-point shot with 15 minutes left in the first half.
Nelson's jumper pushed Fairfield in front at 17-15, but the Wolfpack would respond with 19 straight points over the next five-plus minutes that doubled up Fairfield's score at 34-17. The run ended after Johnson Jr.'s free throws, the first of nine straight points by the reserve. After the sophomore's personal run, the Stags trailed by 12 points, 38-26, but NC State would build its lead back to 15 points with 3:32 remaining.
Fairfield continued to cut into that lead and came as close as seven points after Curtis Cobb made two free throws, but the Wolfpack added a pair of points from Dorn Torin to bring a 48-39 lead into the locker room.
The Stags started the second half with five straight points that brought the team within four points after Cobb's three pointer and Amadou Sidibe's layup. NC State recovered with a 5-0 spurt of its own to regain its halftime edge. Fairfield still hovered around that same deficit, trailing by a 75-65 count with 8:30 remaining. However, the Wolfpack netted the next 15 points that pushed the deficit to 90-65 with four minutes left in the game.
Henderson led all scorers with 25 points while Dennis Smith Jr. added 17 points for the Wolfpack.
Fairfield returns to the hardwood on Wednesday night when it plays Boston College in the Birthday of Basketball Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
