ALBANY, N.Y. -- Marcus Gilbert did what has become expected of him. He scored points; he grabbed rebounds; he was a leader at those critical moments. That's what seniors do and Gilbert has done it as well as anyone over the years.

So when the Stags need a boost against Saint Peter's University in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament quarterfinal game, Gilbert scored 17 points in the first half. With under a minute to go and the Stags up three points, Gilbert netted a step-back three pointer that doubled the advantage with 31 seconds on the clock. 

And with the play of Tyler Nelson, Jonathan Kasibabu, and Matija Milin, the Stags advanced to the MAAC Tournament semifinals following its 64-55 win over the Peacocks. Tonight's game was the fourth straight year in which these two teams met in the MAAC tournament, and the victory evened things up at two games each in those four postseason meetings.

Fairfield pretty much controlled this game from the opening tip. With the exception of a 3-0 lead following the Peacocks first possession, Fairfield led this game from the outset. Trailing a three points, Fairfield reeled off nine straight points to take a 9-3 lead Four of Fairfield's five starters scored during the opening run, including a basket from Milin who received his first career start this evening. 

The starters would play a key part in this victory as Head Coach Sydney Johnson used just seven players in this game. Jerry Johnson Jr. returned to the lineup while Kevin Degnan came off the bench to support Kasibabi, Nelson, Gilbert, Milin, and Jerome Segura. Degnan tallied seven points including a three-point field goal on his first attempt of the game.

Gilbert was primarily responsible for the team's first-half surge, scoring 17 points in the opening 20 minutes and connecting on four of six three point tries. 

After taking an eight-point halftime lead, the Stags systematically expanded their advantage over the opening minutes of the second half. Fairfield's lead reached 16 points at 50-34 following Degnan's layup with 14:13 remaining in the half. But Saint Peter's found some rhythm after that basket and methodically cut into the Stags lead over the next 12 minutes. 

Soon, Fairfield saw its double-digit lead dwindle down to a single possession at 56-53 after Trevis Wyche's jumper made it a three-point game. The teams traded baskets to keep it at three points, setting up another magic moment for Gilbert. The senior netted a step-back three pointer with the shot clock winding down that doubled the Fairfield lead to six points at 61-56 with 31 seconds left. 

Facing a must-score situation, Saint Peter's attacked the basket hoping for a quick score. Kasibabu was waiting and promptly rejected the shot and grabbed the rebound before being fouled. The freshman made the first free throw which made it a three-possession game at 62-55. Milin finished the scoring with a basket as time expired to come up with the final score.

Kasibabu blocked four shots and secured seven rebounds to go along with his seven points. Milin just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Nelson fueled the second half surge for the Stags by scoring 11 of his 15 points over the final 20 minutes.

The win sends Fairfield to the MAAC Tournament semifinals and a match up against top-seed Monmouth University at the Times Union Center on Sunday afternoon. Game time is 4:30 pm.