BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – For the first 15 games, Head Coach Sydney Johnson spoke about the learning process and how his team was gaining experience in game situations as well as playing together as a team. Now, Coach Johnson knows his team has moved beyond the learning process and started the maturation process, the time when the team applies all that it learned.

                That application was apparent tonight as the Fairfield University men's basketball team led at the half by seven points, fell behind by six with 11 minutes remaining before taking and holding the lead in the closing minutes. In the end, the Stags came away with their second Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) win with its 60-57 decision over Saint Peter's and evened up their MAAC slate at 2-2 with their second straight victory.

                "Now I can go into timeouts and say we've been here before," Coach Johnson said. "We know what is going to happen and know what we need to do. Whereas earlier in the season, we would take a couple of punches and our younger guys were not sure how to react. Now, I think we have a shared experience and have something to draw on so I think our freshmen are no longer green but are seasoned and that will help us go through conference play."

                Even with the team becoming more mature, Coach Johnson knows this league well enough to understand that no matter how ready you are, there will be times when his team will to adapt and react positively to adversity.

                For example, the first half went as it has in each of Fairfield's first four MAAC games. The Stags dominated play early and built a lead quickly that they would carry into the locker room when halftime rolled around. Tonight, the team nearly took a double-digit lead into intermission for the fourth time but saw that opportunity dissipate when Dallas Watson made a three pointer with 10 seconds left to cut Fairfield's lead to 30-23 by the buzzer.

                The Stags recaptured that double digit lead early in the second half at 36-26 before Saint Peter's found its collective footing and made a run at the home team. Over the next seven minutes, the Peacocks would outscore Fairfield by a 19-3 count to erase their deficit and create a lead of its own at 45-39 with 11:35 on the clock, the largest lead of the game for the visitors.

                The Peacocks held onto the advantage for nearly eight minutes until Fairfield rallied a 7-2 spurt that turned a four-point deficit into a one-point lead at 53-52 as Kasibabu was responsible for the go-ahead points. On the next possession, Taliaferro drove to the basket to provide a little more comfort for Fairfield, raising the lead to three points, 55-52, with 4:59 remaining. Kasibabu came back with a dunk two minutes later that secured a five-point lead and pretty much secured the win for the Stags.

                "Landon has an in-between game and can do stuff off the dribble when he is crowded at the three-point line," Coach Johnson said. "He has some versatility and has shown that all season including a big floater against Denver that helped us win that game. He has more to his game and he showed that tonight with a huge play with that layup. I think people are starting to realize that he is more than a catch-and-shoot guy."

                Down the stretch, Coach Johnson turned to the experience on the bench and added senior Matija Milin and junior Aidas Kavaliauskas to the lineup. Kasibabu put together another solid second half by scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds in 17 minutes of work. Milin netted a three-point shot with eight minutes remaining that put Fairfield in front 51-50 and dished off an assist down the stretch. Kavaliauskas recorded four of his seven points and three of his six assists in the second half.

                "When the game got close, guys stepped up to get rebounds, guys stepped up to take charges, and guys stepped up to get the loose balls and it was those little things that helped us win this game," Kasibabu said. "It doesn't have to be just points. Everything matters in these close games and we did all the things that matter in tonight's win. We won this game even though we struggled at times. Being able to learn how to overcome mistakes now is what will help us win games in the MAAC tournament."

                Jesus Cruz was Fairfield's only other double-digit scorer with 10 points. Davauhnte Turner led all Saint Peter's scorers with 20 points while Manny Dixon provided an additional 10 points for the Peacocks.

                The Stags will head to Quinnipiac University on Sunday afternoon for its next Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game. Game time is slated for 2 pm.