CINCINNATI – Fairfield University Men's Basketball took a two-point lead into halftime and trailed by just two midway through the second half on Tuesday evening at Xavier, but the host Musketeers strung together a 13-4 run to extend the margin down the stretch and salt away a 78-65 final. The Stags were led by 19 points from Supreme Cook, matching his career high.
 
"We fought hard and competed well against a very good basketball team. A couple of runs hurt us, and we need to manage the game better in some of those moments," said Head Coach Jay Young.
 
"Supreme battled on both ends of the floor with a tough task in front of him," Young added about his Preseason All-MAAC First Team forward. "Obviously their two bigs are very skilled and had a big game for them, but Supreme did his part to keep us in it right until the end."
 
The Xavier bigs in question were Zach Freemantle, a former All-Big East Second Team pick, who posted a triple-double with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists and Preseason All-Big East seven-footer Jack Nunge, who added 23 points and seven boards.
 
For the Stags, Cook was joined in double figures by Caleb Fields with 14 points, while TJ Long and Zach Crisler each chipped in eight. Fields and Long also shared the team high with four rebounds apiece, and Fields distributed a team-best four assists.
 
Fairfield now stands at 0-3 on the season. Xavier – picked second in the Big East Preseason Coaches' Poll – improves to 3-0. The Musketeers are unranked but receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' Polls.
 
Long knocked down a three-pointer on Fairfield's first possession, staking the Stags to lead that they would not relinquish for 13 minutes. The stretch included a 9-0 run featuring two Fields triples as the lead ballooned to 17-7. But Xavier responded with a 10-0 run of its own to take the lead for the first time, 24-23, with 6:59 to go in the half. A drive and dunk from Chris Maidoh ended the run for the Musketeers, and two three-pointers from Crisler in the final five minutes of the period sent the Stags into the intermission holding a 37-35 lead.
 
A fast 7-0 run for the Musketeers in the second half ran the score to 45-41 in favor of the hosts, who maintained the advantage for the remainder of the contest. The Stags stayed within arm's reach with a Cook jumper and a transition three-pointer for James Johns Jr. to cut the deficit to 50-48 with 12:16 left, but that bucket marked the last time that the Stags would be within one possession of Xavier, as the Musketeers steadily pulled away en route to a 78-65 final margin.
 
Rounding out the Fairfield scoring, Allan Jeanne-Rose netted seven boards, Jalen Leach had four, Johns Jr. finished with three and Maidoh added two. The Stags shot 22-61 (36.1%) from the field, 7-24 (29.2%) from three-point range and 14-17 (82.4%) from the free throw line.
 
In addition to the combined 38 points for Freemantle and Nunge, Adam Kunkel scored 21 for Xavier and Souley Boum netted 11.
 
Up next, the Stags play their first of seven New York games on Friday, Nov. 18 with a 7 p.m. visit to Wagner. The Seahawks, who host and defeated Division III Neumann on Monday, are 2-1 on the year. Wagner also owns 76-73 overtime win at Temple as well as a 69-77 loss at La Salle.