FAIRFIELD, Conn. – After seven ties and 13 lead changes on Sunday afternoon at Leo D. Mahoney Arena, the last bucket of the day went to visiting Quinnipiac as the Bobcats clipped Fairfield University Men's Basketball, 66-64. Caleb Fields and Jalen Leach shared the game high in scoring with 18 points apiece for the Stags.
 
With the loss, Fairfield slips to 12-8 on the season with a 6-3 conference mark. Quinnipiac maintains sole possession of first place at 8-1 in the MAAC as a part of a 16-4 overall tally.
 
"I thought that was a great college basketball game; both teams played their hearts out," said Interim Head Coach Chris Casey. "First of all, Quinnipiac is an excellent basketball team, so of course they did some things that disrupted us. But I thought we got to the rim and didn't finish a few too many times. If we convert some of those, they're chasing us instead of us chasing them late, and we could have put ourselves in a better position to win the game."
 
The Stags trailed by as many as seven points, last occurring on an Alexis Reyes three-pointer with 7:08 left that put the Bobcats on top, 55-48. At that point, the Stags embarked on a 12-0 run featuring five points from Fields and punctuated by a thunderous breakaway dunk plus the foul for Leach.
 
The teams traded buckets with Fields adding a three-pointer and a layup to keep Fairfield in front, 62-59 as the clock ticked under two minutes. The equalizer for Quinnipiac came on a Rihards Vavers three-pointer in transition to knot the game at 62-62 with 1:52 left.
 
The Stags responded with a Brycen Goodine tip-in for the last of his 11 points. Quinnipiac against got the bucket they needed to tie the game as Matt Balanc drove and scored with 52 seconds left. Fairfield was unable to convert on its next trip, giving Balanc and the Bobcats a chance to take the lead. The fifth-year guard ran the clock down and made a tough layup with 3.5 seconds left to tip the game towards the visitors, 66-64. Fairfield got a good luck at the tie, but Leach's wing three-pointer drew iron at the horn as Quinnipiac escaped Mahoney Arena with a two-point decision.
 
Fields scored 10 of Fairfield's final 14 points to round out his 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting. Leach was 7-for-16 to net his 18. Goodine supplemented his 11 points with six rebounds, two blocked shots and three steals. The fourth Stag in double figures with Jasper Floyd, who was just short of a double-double with 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
 
James Johns Jr. chipped in four points for the Stags, and Jack Brown drained a three-pointer on his only field goal attempt to finish with three.
 
Balanc's four points in the final minute gave him a team-high 13 for Quinnipiac. Amarri Tice finished with 12 points and 11 boards as Quinnipiac – the MAAC's top rebounding team – gained a 40-35 advantage on the glass.
 
Fairfield Men's Basketball is back in action on Friday, Feb. 2 for a 7 p.m. classic MAAC matchup at Iona. The Stags return to Mahoney Arena next Sunday, Feb. 4 to host Manhattan at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at FairfieldStags.com/TIX.