KISSIMMEE, Fla. – In what could only be deemed a total team effort, the Fairfield University men's basketball team nearly erased an 18-point second-half deficit against Davidson College, coming within a possession with 3:59 remaining before falling by a 67-56 score at the Orlando Invitational.

                Nine different Stags scored in the game with only Jesus Cruz and Landon Taliaferro reaching double figures with 10 points each. While there weren't any gaudy numbers on the Fairfield portion of the box score, the statistics did reflect another outstanding defensive effort by the Stags.

When Fairfield needed it most, the team kept Davidson in check for most of the second half, yielding just 30 points over the final 19 minutes of the game. The Wildcats netted 32 points in the second half total which was one point above their season-low for second half scoring which stands at 31 points against Auburn in the season opener.

                During that drought, Fairfield chipped four points off the deficit, not much at face value but significant because it started perhaps the best second half played by the Stags at this juncture of the season. The Wildcats inflated the lead back to 17 points after a three-point play Carter Collins with 15:38 remaining.

                Fairfield answered with 10 straight points that put the momentum in the team's favor, bringing the score to 40-33 with 13 minutes remaining. Jesus Cruz posted five of those points while Wassef Methnani added a three-point play during the run. Fairfield whittled another point off the disadvantage after Methnani scored off a layup which made the score 47-41 at the 10:02 mark.

                Davidson pushed back though and would get its advantage back to double digits at 52-42 in about 90 seconds of play. The Stags would not relent and managed to put together a 12-4 spurt that nearly erased the deficit, getting the score to 56-54 with 3:59 on the clock. Calvin Whipple netted a pair of three pointers during that run, including the basket that cut the score to a basket.

                But the rally ended with the sophomore's long-range jumper as the Stags managed just two more points over the final four minutes, a layup by Cruz at the 1:30 mark, allowing Davidson to finish with a 10-2 run that sealed the victory.

                "We fought and played hard tonight," Coach Young said. "They are a high level offensive team and you have to be on your toes defensively against them. I thought we covered a lot of what they wanted to do so I was happy about that. But there are no moral victories so we need to get ready to play a tough Texas A&M team on Sunday."

                The Stags shot 55 percent from the floor in the second half by making 16 of 29 shots, a remarkable turnaround from their 38 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes. Fairfield also made its move by having a 16-13 advantage on the boards in the second half, falling one short of controlling the boards for the game as Davidson held a 28-27 edge overall on the glass for the game.

                Four Davidson student-athletes reached double figures in the game, paced by Kellan Grady's 15 points and Collins' 14 points. The Stags ended the game by outscoring the Wildcats in the paint by a 30-22 margin as well as in second chance points by an 11-8 margin.

                Coach Young will bring his team into the final game of the Orlando Invitational on Sunday with a 10:30 am matchup against Texas A&M. The game will end Fairfield's six-game road swing that started nearly a month ago. The Stags will finally get a home game on December 8 against William & Mary, its first since hosting UMass on November 9.