FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The non-conference season comes to a close with the Fairfield University men's basketball team heading up Interstate 91 for an in-state matchup with the University of Hartford. The game concludes a home-and-home series with the Hawks which began with Hartford's 66-61 win at Alumni Hall last Wednesday.

The Stags dropped their second straight game against an America East team with their three-point overtime setback against Stony Brook (72-69). The meeting was the first-ever matchup between the two programs despite separated by 28 miles via Long Island Sound, 32 miles closer than the University of Hartford campus. The Stags' seniors put together a solid game against the Seawolves, led by Jesus Cruz's team-best 18 points. Classmate Taj Benning scored 10 points all of which came in the first half.

Behind Benning, Fairfield opened up a halftime lead at 29-26 after which Cruz took over by netting 14 of his points over the final 25 minutes of the game. The Stags held a four-point lead with under two minutes remaining in regulation but saw the Seawolves score on consecutive possessions late to tie the game with 30 seconds left. Fairfield scored the first points of overtime but Stony Brook answered with six straight points and never trailed the rest of the period. With his performance, Cruz takes over the team lead for scoring with 12.0 points per game. Benning (11.0 ppg) and Caleb Green (10.7 ppg) join Cruz as the team's double-digit scorers. 

Hartford won their second straight game with its 80-65 decision over Central Connecticut State University in Hartford's home opener. The team had played two away games and a neutral site match up with nationally-ranked Villanova at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Five Hawks scored in double figures in the victory led by Moses Flowers' 16 points, the third time in four games that he was on top of the box score. The America East All-Rookie pick already has two 20-point performances, netting a season-high 24 points at UConn and 20 points against Fairfield.

Austin Williams completed a double-double against Central Connecticut with 15 points and 10 rebounds while D.J. Mitchell led all Hartford reserves with 15 points. The double-digit quintet also included Traci Carter (11 points) and Thomas Webley (10 points). Hartford used a 14-4 run over three minutes to help build a 12-point lead in the first half against Central Connecticut and went into the locker room with a seven-point edge. The Hawks used nine three-point field goals in the second half to keep control of the game, leading by as many as 19 points before setting for the 15-point victory. Flowers leads the team in scoring with 15 points per game followed by Williams' 10-point scoring average. Flowers is also the team's top rebounder with 6.5 caroms per contest.

Following Monday's game, the Stags will start play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) by hosting Siena College for a pair of games over the weekend. The two teams will meet at Alumni Hall on Friday and Saturday starting at 7 pm both nights.