BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Fairfield University Men's Basketball held visiting Marist scoreless for a nine-minute stretch during Friday's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) game at Webster Bank Arena, turning a 32-19 deficit into a 35-35 deadlock. But the Red Foxes made the contest's last run, pulling away to claim a 60-51 decision.
 
Fairfield (8-6, 2-1 MAAC) was playing its first game following a two-week layoff from competition, only returning to full team practices on Monday due to Covid protocols. Marist (7-6, 2-2 MAAC) entered the game without two starters due to their own Covid-related concerns.
 
"Both teams had some challenging circumstances coming in, but quite frankly, I thought Marist played harder than us, and that's disappointing," said Head Coach Jay Young. "Credit to them, they were missing two of their leading scorers and still imposed their will on us for a lot of the game. We've got to get back in the gym and fix some things to make us a better basketball team."
 
Jake Wojcik paced the Stags offensively with 14 points, including three of Fairfield's six three-pointers on the day. Supreme Cook joined him in double figures with 13 points and matched his career high with 14 boards to register his third double-double of the season.

Caleb Green added seven points, Taj Benning netted five, and the quartet of Allan Jeanne-Rose, Jesus Cruz, Zach Crisler and TJ Long each chipped in three points.
 
Crisler also corralled seven rebounds and split the team high in assists and he and Green each distributed three helpers.
 
The first run of the game went to Red Foxes, building a 22-12 lead with 7:36 to go in the half. The double-digit lead grew as large as 13 points, settling at 32-19 at the 4:03 mark of the period. However, Marist would not score again in the frame as Cook scored four points and Wojcik added a runner in the lane to send the Stags into the locker room facing a manageable 32-25 deficit.
 
The spurt continued out of the break, as steals from Jeanne-Rose and Green led to the first fast-break points of the day for the Stags. Benning added a three-pointer off a Cruz offensive board to trim the margin all the way to 32-31.
 
Marist ended its scoring drought after 9:10 of clock time on a Braden Bell three-pointer, but the Stags answered with a Cruz free throw and a Wojcik trey that knotted the game at 35-35 with 13:47 to go.
 
"Our defense was the key to that stretch," noted Young. "We made some shots, but it was the stops that led to transition baskets that really helped us come back. That's the defensive intensity that we need for 40 minutes."
 
That triple, however, was Fairfield's last field goal for nearly nine minutes as the Red Foxes set off on a 21-2 run to build a comfortable 56-37 advantage with under five minutes to go.  Marist would tack on a few points down the stretch to keep the Stags at bay and ice the 60-51 win.
 
Ricardo Wright led four Red Foxes in double figures with 17 points and hauled in 10 rebounds. Bell added 14 with Samkelo Cele and Jordan Jones scoring 12 and 10, respectively.
 
Marist held a 41-40 edge in the rebounding battle, and both teams committed 12 turnovers. The Stags had only two giveaways in the second half after an uncharacteristic 10 during the first 20 minutes.
 
Tonight's game was the start of a stretch in which the Stags will play three MAAC games in five days. Up next is a trip to Siena on Sunday, Jan. 9 before returning home to host Iona on Tuesday, Jan. 11.