FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Six players reached double figures including Wassef Methnani who came off the bench to register a double-double as the Fairfield University men's basketball team dropped an 88-86 decision to the University of Bridgeport in exhibition game at Alumni Hall on Friday night. Bakary Camara won the game for the Purple Knights with his layup at the buzzer that broke the tie.

Methnani posted 13 points and 11 rebounds in 22 minutes played. In his first start as a Stag, Ferron Flavors Jr. netted 16 points by making four of six three pointers and five of seven shots overall, while Tyler Nelson also tallied 16 points by making five of nine shots from the floor.

The Stags built a 10-point halftime lead by shooting 63 percent from the floor and 44 percent from the three-point range. Flavors was the only student-athlete in double figures through the first 20 minutes with 11 points.

The Purple Knights opened the half by scoring seven of the first nine points that cut the Fairfield lead in half at 47-42. The Stags recovered from the early run by adding nine straight points that presented the team with its biggest lead of the game at 56-42 with 16:14 on the clock.

Once again, Bridgeport fought back with a consistent attack that would eventually bring the visitors with two points at 60-58 with 12:28 remaining. The Stags would never lead by more than six points the rest of the way, hitting that mark with six minutes remaining when Jerome Segura completed a three-point play that made the score 75-69.

Hashem Abbas scored six of his team's next eight points including a jumper at the 2:27 mark that would tie the game for the second time at 77-77. Tyler Nelson pushed the Stags back in front with a jumper with two minutes remaining, but Camara's layup knotted the game once again at 79-79. Nelson stepped up to the free throw line and provided his team with another two-point edge following a pair of free throws, bringing the score to 81-79.

Sam Joseph came down the court and netted a three-point field goal to give the Purple Knights the lead at 82-81, the team's first since 20-19 with nine minutes remaining in the first half. Jonathan Kasibabu's slam dunk brought Fairfield back in front at 83-82, but another three pointer from Joseph turned the lead into a deficit with 45 seconds remaining.

A free throw by Segura and a layup from Methnani seemed to give the Stags the momentum and the lead with 30 seconds left. However, Bridgeport scored the final three points of the game including the game winning layup as time expired.

Kasibabu registered 14 points, making seven of his eight field goal attempts, while Matija Milin and Segura added 10 points to the Fairfield cause. Abbas paced all scorers with 22 points while Joseph ended the contest with 16 points.

The Stags will open the regular season on November 11 when they host the University of Pennsylvania at Webster Bank Arena with the tip scheduled for 1 pm.