FAIRFIELD, Conn. --- For the second straight game, the Fairfield University men's basketball went toe-to-toe with its opponent only to come up short down the stretch as UMass overcame a halftime deficit to edge the Stags by a 62-60 count at Webster Bank Arena.

                In the team's last game, Fairfield nearly erased a double-digit lead over the final four minutes before succumbing to Bucknell. Today, the Stags were able to build a halftime lead and build it to 10 points early in the second half before aggressive defense and the three-point shooting of UMass was able to cut and eventually overcome the deficit in the closing minutes.

                "I always thought that a 10-point lead against a team that is pressing is a little different than a 10-point lead at a slower pace so I knew they were going to make a run," Head Coach Jay Young said. "(T.J.) Weeks came in and made threes and (Tre) Mitchell lived up to his billing today. It's tough because they can move the ball around and shoot threes or go to the post area."

                UMass opened up an early 10-4 lead before the Stags found their rhythm, outscoring the Minutemen by a 16-8 count over the next to take a 20-18 lead on Calvin Whipple's three-point field goal. Fairfield never trailed the rest of the half, taking its biggest lead of the period at 31-24 after Taj Benning made a pair of free throws with 58 seconds left.

                The Stags managed to push the lead to 10 points after Jesus Cruz completed a three-point play that made the score 39-29 with 15:57 remaining. T.J. Weeks netted back-to-back three point shots for UMass, sparking a 10-0 run that tied the game at 39-39 at the 12:57 mark. However,  Fairfield retained the lead when Cruz's layup pushed the score 41-39.

                UMass took its first lead on the next possession, courtesy of another Weeks three pointer but the Stags answered with four straight points to erase the deficit and lead by three points, 45-42, at the 11:12 mark. Fairfield's lead remained intact for five minutes before UMass secured a one-point edge following Samba Diallo's dunk which made the score 53-52.

                That deficit was short lived as Cruz would score on a driving layup to put Fairfield in front for the final time at 54-53. The Minutemen scored the next five points to grab a two possession lead at 58-54.

                Fairfield still trailed by four points with under a minute remaining before Taliaferro made both ends of a one-and-one play that brought the team within two points. After getting a stop on UMass' next possession, the Stags had a chance to tie or win the game on its next trip down the court.

                After a timeout from both teams, Taliaferro was able to get the ball far from the basket and launched a shot with a defender close but the attempt hit the back rim and came out. UMass was fouled on the rebound but missed the front of a one-and-one giving the Stags one more chance with a second remaining but the last-second effort was errant.

                Taliaferro paced the Fairfield offense with 15 point, followed by Cruz's 14 points and five steals. Sean East and Diallo also reached double figures for UMass with 14 and 12 points, respectively. The game featured eight lead changes and five tied scores, further illustrating how the teams seemed evenly matched throughout the afternoon.

                With these two games being it, the team looks toward preparing for the College of the Holy Cross on Tuesday night, the Stags' first road game of the season.

                "We just need to keep grinding every single day," Young said. "We are going to get our fair share of these games. We are going to miserable about losing but we need to get in the gym and keep working to get better."