NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. –
Landon Taliaferro returned to the lineup after missing his first game as a Stag and responded with a team-high 18 points as the Fairfield University men's basketball team fell to Niagara University 78-73 at the Gallagher Center.
Give the Stags credit for battling throughout the game, trailing by as many as eight points before taking the lead on several occasions. And each time that Fairfield made a run, Taliaferro had a hand in the scoring. Fairfield fell behind early by allowing the first six points of the game and saw that deficit grow to eight points at 21-13 with 11:55 left in the half.
Fairfield responded with nine straight points after hitting that game-high deficit, a stretch started with a pair of free throws from
Wassef Methnani. Taliaferro followed with his second three-point shot of the game to bring the Stags within a possession at 21-18. Methnani added four more points to complete the run, giving the visitors their first lead of the game at 22-21 at the 8:49 mark.
"We knew we were going to need Landon today just because of his shot making," Head Coach
Sydney Johnson said. "He is a big time shooter so it was great to see his confidence back and to see the guys find a way to get him the ball. He was also solid defensively today."
Niagara would regain and rebuild the lead to as many as five points with an 11-5 spurt that brought the score to 32-27 before Fairfield closed out the half by doubling up the Purple Eagles over the final four minutes which sent the two teams into the locker room at 37-37.
After the home team grabbed the lead on its first possession, the Stags tallied seven straight points that erased the deficit and built the Stags biggest lead of the game to that point, 44-39 after
Aidas Kavaliauskas capped it with a jumper. The basket was the first of four for the guard, who finished the second half with eight points and helped him establish a season high with 11 points.
Marvin Prochet, Niagara's leading scorer, stopped the Fairfield progression with a jumper before Fairfield reeled off seven of the game's next nine points to secure its biggest advantage of the afternoon, 51-43, with 13 minutes on the clock.
Niagara rallied to tie the game at 51-51 after Dominic Robb's hook shot went through the net at the 10:07 mark. Fairfield still had another rally left and used it to its full extent to secure what would be its final lead of the game at 59-55 with Kavaliauskas being responsible for four of those points.
The Purple Eagles scored the next 10 points of the contest, all coming off the hand of reserve Dominik Fragala. Fairfield came within a possession on a couple of occasions but could not manage the shot that would tie or give it the lead over the final four minutes of play.
Neftali Alvarez added 16 points to the Fairfield cause to join Taliaferro and Kavaliauskas as the team's double-digit scorers. Robb netted 23 points for the Purple Eagles to lead all scorers in the game.
"I thought Neftali had a phenomenal weekend," Coach Johnson said. "He is working well regardless if he is working with Aidas and Taj and his chemistry with both has been good. His energy defensively has also been really locked in and has taken to some of the higher concepts we are asking him to do."
Alvarez did not turn the ball over in the second half as the Stags managed just three miscues over the final 20 minutes. It was that effort with the ball that allowed the Stags to make a couple of runs during the second half and challenge Niagara until the end.
"I was really proud of the guys in terms of limiting the turnovers," Coach Johnson said. "That kind of play gave us an awesome opportunity to win the game in the second half. Our passing gave us a lot of paint touches and that allowed us to score in the lane."
Fairfield returns to the court one week from today when it hosts Manhattan College at Alumni Hall. The game is part of a doubleheader as the Fairfield women's team hosts Iona at 1 pm followed by the men's game at 3:30 pm.
