RIVERDALE, N.Y. – TJ Long knocked down a three-pointer with 3:36 remaining to tie Fairfield University Men's Basketball and host Manhattan at 51-51 on Thursday evening at Draddy Gymnasium.  But the Jaspers were the squad to emerge from the deadlock, holding off the Stags to claim a 56-53 decision.
 
Fairfield (2-6, 0-1 MAAC) has dropped a pair of one-possession games in the last six days, previously falling to Mercer by a 60-58 count on Saturday prior to Sunday's bounce-back win over Evansville. Manhattan (3-3, 1-0 MAAC) has now played in three straight one-possession contests after falling to Northeastern in overtime and then earning a 72-71 win over Army during their recent trip to London.
 
Caleb Fields led the Stags with 12 points, while Jalen Leach netted 11 and hauled in six rebounds. Allan Jeanne-Rose was just short of a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds. Supreme Cook led the effort on the glass with a game-high 11 boards to along go with eight points.
 
The Stags pulled down 22 offensive rebounds – which led to 20 second-chance points – marking the most offensive boards since Jan. 4, 2010 when Fairfield also collected 22 caroms for their own glass at Niagara. In tonight's game, the Stags finished with 44 boards compared to 29 for the Jaspers.
 
Fairfield led by as many as 11 points in the first half, sparked by three-pointers for Zach Crisler and James Johns Jr. as well as a personal 5-0 run from Jalen Leach to stake the Stags to a 23-12 lead. However, the Jaspers scored the next six points as a part of a 12-4 spurt to end the half, sending the game into the intermission with Fairfield in front, 27-24.
 
The Stags were again the aggressor out of the locker room, racing to a fast 34-26 advantage, but Manhattan again had a rebuttal, accounting for the next 10 points to claim a 36-34 lead with 14:27 to play. The squads battled to another stalemate at 41-41, as this time the Jaspers were the team to surge ahead with an 8-1 run to take a 49-42 lead at the 7:54 mark of the period.
 
Leach knocked down a three-pointer in transition to get the Stags back in the scoring column, followed by a Cook free throw and then a Jeanne-Rose layup to trim the deficit to one point. After Manhattan's Ant Nelson knocked down a long two-point jumper to end the Jaspers' scoring drought, Long buried the equalizing trey to knot the score at 51-51.
 
Manhattan snapped the tie with a Nick Brennen triple, before Chris Maidoh answered with a  putback dunk to make it a 54-53 game in favor of the Jaspers. Nelson went 1-for-2 from the stripe on the next possession for the hosts, and then the Stags came up empty on their next trip. Fairfield would fore the turnover it needed as the game clock crept under 90 seconds to go, but Manhattan's Josh Roberts made a big defensive play with a chase down block to erase the layup that would have tied the game. After another empty trip for each side, Nelson made another 1-for-2 appearance at the free throw line, and the Stags' final heave fell short as Manhattan came away with the 56-53 win.
 
"We took two leads and we just gave them both back. We have not shot the ball well – I thought we got some good looks today but we've got to find a secondary way to score," said Head Coach Jay Young. "We got 22 offensive rebounds but shot 37 percent from the floor. So I was proud of the way we went to glass, but we've got to get some payback for that and we just have not."
 
Nelson led all players with 18 points for the Jaspers along with a game-best five assists, and Roberts posted eight points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.
 
Thursday's contest marked the end of a season-opening eight-game road swing for the Stags. Fairfield makes its long-awaited Leo D. Mahoney Arena debut on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. with a visit from defending MAAC Champion Saint Peter's. The game, which has been announced as a sellout, will mark the first of eight consecutive home contests for Fairfield Men's Basketball.
 
The Peacocks are 4-3 overall and 0-1 in the MAAC following a 73-58 loss to conference newcomer Mount St. Mary's tonight in Jersey City.