RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Behind a strong effort from Caleb Green, the Fairfield University men's basketball team enjoyed a strong start against Manhattan College but the Stags could not sustain the momentum in the second half. The Jaspers were able to erase a halftime deficit by shooting 50 percent in the second half to post a 69-59 win in the first game of a two-game series with Fairfield.

              Green was primarily responsible for the Stags' successful beginning, scoring the final five points in a 10-1 run that started the game. After Chris Maidoh and Taj Benning spotted the team with a 5-0 edge, Green followed with a fast-break layup and a jumper from beyond the arc to complete the three-minute opening stretch.

              Fairfield's lead reached 10 points after Supreme Cook netted a pair of free throws that brought the score to 16-6 with 13 minutes on the clock, the team's biggest lead of the night. Manhattan slowly worked its way back into the game and came within a possession of tying the score on several occasions. Each time, Fairfield seemed to have an answer and was able to push the lead back to five or six points. The Stags appeared poised for a six-point lead at halftime but Ethan Lasko's long-range jumper with five seconds remaining cut the advantage in half and sent the visitors into the locker room with a 32-29 lead.

              Green was responsible for 12 of the team's 32 first-half points with Supreme Cook and Zach Crisler being next in line with four points each.

              The Fairfield edge went away in the first minute of the second half when Samir Stewart netted a three-point field goal that tied the game for the first time at 32-32. The Stags took the lead on their next possession however as Jake Wojcik connected from inside the lane to push his team back in front. The Japsers took the lead for the first time with baskets on back-to-back possession, the last of which came from the hand of Warren Williams.

              Benning's three pointer recaptured the lead for Fairfield at 37-36 before Stewart answered with another three pointer, the first of a six-point run that would put the home team in front for good at 42-37 with 15 minutes remaining in the game.

              Fairfield came closest after Green made a three-point shot that brought the deficit down to a point at 44-43 before Manhattan scored the next eight points to push the lead to nine a5 52-43 with nine minutes left on the clock.

              "I thought we competed tonight but you cannot turn the ball over 22 times and expect to win," Head Coach Jay Young said. "I thought Manhattan dictated the tempo of the game especially in the second half. Caleb did a good job of handling the different looks that Manhattan gave us defensively."

              Benning finished the game with eight points while Cook contributed seven points to the Fairfield cause. Williams and Stewart paced the Manhattan attack with 12 points.

              The two teams will finish out the regular-season portion of their schedules on Friday night at Draddy Gymnasium. The game will tip off at 6 pm.