LEWISBURG, Pa. – It's all about execution. So with the score tied and no timeouts, Head Coach Sydney Johnson looked out on the court and saw a lineup that consisted almost of all underclassmen and hoped all of the preseason preparation would pay off. And much to his delight, those countless hours had Fairfield prepared for this moment and ready to execute with the game on the line.

Freshman Neftali Alvarez went coast-to-coast and laid the ball in the basket with three seconds remaining in the game to send the Fairfield University men's basketball team to a 60-58 win over Bucknell University. The points culminated a night in which the guard led all scorers with 16 points but none more important than those final two.

But what made the shot even more impressive was that the freshman made the play one possession after being called for a charge that took a made basket off the board which would have made it a two-possession game. Alvarez showed no apprehension after the charge and showed that he can leave those kind of plays behind him.

"He is a tough kid, toughness personified," Coach Johnson said. "Sometimes as a freshman, you hang onto that kind of play (the charge) until the next practice, the next game and sometimes the next week. But that's not the type of kid he is. He is fearless and has been amazing for us so far."

It did not seem as though a last-second shot would be necessary on this night as the Stags dominated the first half by shooting 60 percent from the floor and 63 percent from three-point range. With that kind of accuracy, Bucknell struggled to stay close as they tried to work through some inaccurate shooting in the opening 20 minutes.

Fairfield took its first double-digit lead at 14-4 just nine minutes into the contest and stayed ahead in that margin for nearly the entire half. The Stags took their biggest lead at 34-19 after Landon Taliaferro netted a three-point field goal at the 2:40 mark. The Stags would eventually settle for a 10-point lead by intermission, 38-28.

The 15-minute halftime seemed to have an effect on the Stags as they struggled offensively in the opening minutes. The Stags first field goal did not come until Jesus Cruz slashed to the basket with 14:17 on the clock which pushed Fairfield's lead to 42-35. Bucknell used Fairfield's offensive woes to climb back into the game through those opening minutes but could not find a way to complete the comeback.

Cruz, Taliaferro, and Alvarez seemed to find a way to score points when Fairfield needed it most, something that seemed to be of the utmost importance since the Stags were playing without their front court for most of the game. Jonathan Kasibabu, Wassef Methnani, and Kevin Senghore-Peterson were saddled with foul difficulty all night with Kasibabu and Methnani eventually succumbing to fouls midway through the second half.

With their inside game on the bench, it became even more critical that the guard play was able to handle the Bucknell offensive push. Cruz was especially effective as the guard scored on two occasions when the Bison cut the lead to two points late in the second half. Taliaferro used his outside shooting prowess to keep Bucknell off balance while Alvarez scored both inside and outside tonight.

"We as coaches challenged Jesus to give us more so he was really hungry to contribute tonight," Coach Johnson said. "Landon gave us a 40-minute game. He is a threat offensively and gave us great effort defensively tonight with six rebounds. As a whole, we can be real strong and certainly those two guys make us a better team."

Despite their best efforts, Fairfield still found itself fending off the Bisons as they desparately made a run to win the game. While the team could not take the lead, Bucknell still managed to find a way to tie the game when Kimbal Mackenzie went to the basket for a layup that tied the score at 58-58 with nine seconds left.

Fairfield inbounded the ball to Alvarez who showed no apprehension what so ever by going the length of the court in complete control, making sure not to get called for another charge. He eluded a pair of defenders, pulled up under the basket, and with a quick release banked the ball off the glass for the game winner.

The Stags will return to action with their home opener on Tuesday night when they host LiU Brooklyn at Webster Bank Arena. Game time is 7:30 pm. The Fairfield University women's basketball team will play the first game of the doubleheader by tipping off at 5 pm.