RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Jonathan Kasibabu scored a game-high nine points while Landon Taliaferro added eight points as the Fairfield University men's basketball team fell to Manhattan College by a 62-49 score at Draddy Gymnasium.

                After Manhattan opened the game with a three-point field goal, Fairfield responded with seven straight points to take a 7-3 lead just three minutes into the game. Felix Lemetti was responsible for the team's first five points with a three-point field goal and a 12-footer. Taliaferro tacked on a jumper to complete the Stags' seven-point run, giving Fairfield its biggest lead of the game.

                Fairfield held onto the lead for a few more minutes but saw its 13-10 edge evaporate after Manhattan's Tyler Reynolds made two free throws and Tykei Greene added a three pointer to push the score to 15-13. The Stags managed to tie the game at 20-20 off Calvin Whipple's first three point field goal of the game but the Jaspers answered with six straight points that put the home team in front for good at 26-20.

                After the Stags cut the lead to three points, 26-23, Manhattan finished the half with a 10-3 run that provided it with its first double-digit lead of the game at 36-26, a score that would carry into halftime.

                In the second half, Fairfield made a couple of runs after falling behind by as many as 16 points and managed to cut the lead to 10 points on a few occasions. The first came with a few minutes remaining after Taliaferro netted his second three pointer to make the score 55-45. Kasibabu also drew Fairfield within 10 points at 57-47 with 1:36 on the clock courtesy of a dunk.

                "We spent a lot of time preparing for Manhattan but tonight the execution just wasn't there," Head Coach Sydney Johnson said. "We tried several different guys to try and get that execution but it just didn't get there tonight. We talked at halftime about what we needed to do to get back into it but we spent the entire second half chasing the game. And to Manhattan's credit, they kept us behind."

                Kasibabu turned in another solid all-around performance which included team highs with seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Alvarez showcased his play making skills with five assists and also added a pair of steals. Reynolds led all Manhattan scorers with 17 points while Ebube came off the bench to add 15 points to the Jaspers' cause.

                The Stags will play two more games over the next four days beginning with Saturday night's road match up with Marist College, followed by a third road game at Siena College on Monday night. Both games are scheduled for 7 pm.