BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Faced with a 33-28 halftime deficit to visiting Holy Cross on Wednesday at Webster Bank Arena, Fairfield University Men's Basketball outscored the Crusaders by a 46-26 count after the intermission en route to a 74-59 non-conference victory. Allan Jeanne-Rose led the scoring with a career-high 15 points, and Supreme Cook posted a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds in the Stags' third consecutive victory.
 
"The difference was our defense. We revved it up defensively in the second half and got some stops, and that fueled our offense," said Head Coach Jay Young of the Stags' transformation between the first and second stanzas. "We blocked some shots, got on the run, and that got us going."
 
The second three-game winning streak of the season moves the Stags to 6-3 overall. Holy Cross drops to 2-8 with its fourth consecutive loss.
 
Jeanne-Rose was 7-for-8 from the floor and drained his only three-point attempt to amass his career-best 15 points. The junior is the 10th different Stag to hold or share the team-lead in scoring through nine games, with no player setting the pace more than once.
 
"It's a great sign. It shows that we have a lot of guys who can score and that we're playing unselfish basketball," noted Young.
 
Cook's double-double was his first of the season and the second of his career. It also marked the fifth time as a Stag that the sophomore pulled down 10 or more rebounds. His 13 boards tonight were the difference in a 36-23 advantage on the glass for the Stags, while his eight offensive boards helped fuel the squad to 19 second-chance points.
 
The starting backcourt duo of Taj Benning and Caleb Green joined Jeanne-Rose and Cook in double figures with 11 points apiece. Benning also pulled down six rebound, while Green distributed five of the Stags' 14 assists on 30 made field goals.
 
As a unit, the Stags shot 30-for-57 (.526) from the floor, 4-for-17 (.235) from three-point range and 10-for-14 (.714) from the free throw line. The Stags missed their first 11 three-point attempts for the game but buried four of their last six tries from distance, including two during a crucial 8-0 swing midway through the second half in which Fairfield turned a 46-42 deficit into a 50-46 lead in just over a minute of action.
 
That 8-0 spurt keyed the stretch that decided the game as the Stags extended the run to 30-6 over a span of 8:31, building the largest lead of the contest at 72-52 with 3:24 to play. The Stags coasted for the final three minutes to close out the 74-59 triumph.
 
Tonight's game marked a return home for the Stags after sweeping the MAAC's Western New York swing with victories over Canisius and Niagara. During the current three-game winning streak, Fairfield is averaging 76.3 points per game and has outscored its opponents, 129-96, in the second half.
 
Kyrell Luc led all players with 16 points for Holy Cross, including two of the Crusaders' seven three-pointers. Bo Montgomery joined him in double figures with 13 points.
 
Up next, the Stags embark on a three-game non-conference road trip. First up is a visit to William & Mary on Sunday, Dec. 12 for a 1 p.m. contest. The Tribe is currently 1-9 on the season and will host Hampton on Thursday before welcoming the Stags to Williamsburg on Sunday.