BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – After trailing visiting Siena for a span of more than 34 minutes in Sunday's MAAC matinee at Webster Bank Arena, Fairfield University Men's Basketball pulled even with the Saints on a Taj Benning bucket with 4:11 to play. However, the Saints scored the game's next four points and the Stags never leveled the score again as the visitors made their free throws and time ticked away on a 62-56 final. Benning was the lone Stag to net double figures with 10 points.
 
"It's been the story of our season; we just haven't completed games," said Head Coach Jay Young. "We're right there in every game, we just can't make a play on either end of the floor that helps us in a big moment. and unless that changes, we're going to keep having the same result. But I'm confident that we're going to get better on both ends of the floor and start making some of those plays."
 
In addition to his game-tying bucket, Benning also finished through contact and completed a key three-point play with the Stags trailing 56-52, and just 1:18 to play. But Siena's Colby Rogers answered with a contested step-back jumper to extend the margin back to three points, and the Saints hit four free throws in the final 31 seconds to ice the 62-56 score.
 
Supreme Cook was just shy of double figures with nine points and pulled down a team-best seven rebounds. The Stags were clipped, 34-30, on the boards with the Saints netting seven second-chance points compared to Fairfield's four. Jake Wojcik collected six rebounds for the Stags to go along with his seven points and two assists.
 
In the post, Chris Maidoh complimented Cook's nine points with eight of his own – six of which came via three thundering dunks – as the duo combined for 17 of the Stags' 32 points in the paint. Maidoh was also the catalyst behind Fairfield's 17 bench points that also featured four points for Allan Jeanne-Rose, three for TJ Long and two by Zach Crisler.
 
After coming off the bench as the Stags' sixth man for the last 32 games, Jesus Cruz moved into the starting lineup this afternoon and scored seven. Caleb Green added six points and distributed a team-best three assists.
 
Anthony Gaines led all scorers with 15 points and Rogers added 12. Jackson Stormo was the third Saint in double figures with 10 points. Gaines and Stormo also shared the game high with eight rebounds apiece.
 
Today's game was the first leg of a six-game homestand for the Stags – their longest ever solely against conference foes. The Webster Bank Arena residency continues on Wednesday, Feb. 9 with a 7 p.m. visit from in-state MAAC rival Quinnipiac.