ALBANY, N.Y. – After battling back to tie the game on two occasions in the second half, the Fairfield University men's basketball could not overcome more than eight minutes without a point as Siena College held on for a 61-50 decision at the Times Union Center.

                The point totals don't truly reflect the both team's ability to put the ball in the basket, especially in the first half. Through the first 20 minutes of the game, both teams shot 52 percent from the floor. The difference in the opening half was the three-point shot. While the Stags made six off 13 attempts from long range, Siena was nearly perfect from beyond the line with eight made three pointers on 11 tries.

                Those extra three pointers were the difference when the buzzer sounded to end the half as the Saints took a 38-32 lead into the locker room. Wassef Methnani made a big difference in his 13 minutes off the bench, making four of six field goal attempts including two from long range that comprised his team-best 10 points.

                Landon Taliaferro opened the second half with a three-point shot, his second of the night, that immediately cut the deficit in half at 38-35. Fairfield continued to chip away at the lead, still trailing at 45-39 with 12 minutes left. But the Stags' defense kept Siena close and provided the team with an opportunity to get back into the game.

                "I thought we played so much better defensively in the second half," Head Coach Sydney Johnson said. "Credit Siena for making shots in the first half but in the second half our guys were really locked in. I think the way we played defensively in the second half really gives us something to build on."

                   Jesus Cruz converted a three-point play that started with a quick step drive to the basket. After getting a defensive stop, Taliaferro tied the game with a 25-footer from the top of the key that knotted the game at 45-45, the first tie of the game.

                Evan Fisher gave Siena the lead on the next possession, two of his game-high 18 points, but Methnani pulled Fairfield even with his short jumper at the 10:04 mark, making the score 47-47. The problem was that the Stags would not score another point until Taliaferro's fourth three-point field goal with 1:32 on the clock. During that stretch, Siena was able to push through eight points with six coming from freshman Jalen Pickett off a three-point play and a three-point field goal.

                Fairfield did not score after Taliaferro's basket, giving the team just three points over the final 10 minutes of the game.

                "I want to give our opponent credit because some of the shots we took were not exactly what we wanted to do," Johnson said. "There is some growing up that we need to do in terms of we don't need any panic and we don't need any hero shots. That stretch was not where we were at our best."

                Taliaferro ended the game with 14 points while Methnani represented the team's other double-digit scorer with 12 points. Methnani was also the team's leading rebounder with seven caroms, edging out Cruz's rebounding total by two. Fisher shot 50 percent from the floor for Siena, netting eight of 16 field goal attempts, while Pickett posted 13 points for the Saints.

                Fairfield returns home for the first time since January 27 when it hosts Monmouth University on February 9 at Webster Bank Arena. The game is scheduled for a 1 pm tip.