RIVERDALE, N.Y. – A 7-0 run to open overtime was the deciding stretch for Fairfield University Men's Basketball in a MAAC basketball classic on Thursday evening at Manhattan. Six Stags scored in double figures on the day as Fairfield picked up the 87-84 road victory.
 
With the win in their first overtime game of the season, the Stags evened their MAAC record at 4-4 as a part of an 8-11 overall tally. Manhattan slid to 8-9 on the year with a 3-5 conference mark.
 
"Both teams played really hard and we made one more play than they did. And that's what MAAC Basketball is," said Head Coach Chris Casey. "Anybody can beat anybody on any night in this league, so you have to come ready to play and ready to play hard."
 
The trio of Kyle Jenkins, Prophet Johnson and Braden Sparks shared the team high for Fairfield with 15 points apiece. Deon Perry added 13 points with 10 each coming from Jamie Bergens and Louis Bleechmore. Johnson also hauled in 11 rebounds to register his fourth double-double of the season.
 
The last time six Stags scored in double figures was during the 2021-22 campaign when seven players had 10 or more points in a 110-55 victory over Medgar Evers.
 
Johnson and Birima Seck each pulled down four rebounds from the offensive glass, sparking Fairfield to 22 second chance points. Overall, the Stags were clipped on the glass by a 43-40 count but made up for the disparity by forcing 14 Manhattan turnovers compared to just seven Fairfield giveaways.
 
The Jaspers' standout freshman Will Sydnor led all scorers with 21 points, with Wesley Robinson contributing 20 for the home team.
 
Bleechmore carried the offense early, netting the first eight Fairfield points of the evening. Six more Stags got into the act over the opening 20 minutes, led by nine points from Johnson and seven off the bench for Jenkins as Fairfield built an eight-point lead at 32-24. However, the Jaspers ended the half on a 12-5 run, capped a banked-in three-pointer for Sydnor, as the Stags went into the intermission with a one-point cushion, 37-36.
 
The teams traded buckets to start the second half before Fairfield put together a 9-2 stretch to claim a 55-48 advantage with 10:50 to play in regulation. But the Jaspers promptly embarked on a 9-2 run of their own to settle the score at 58-57 in favor of the Stags. The momentum swung once again on a five-point possession for Deon Perry, who made two technical free throws after a T was assessed to Manhattan Head Coach John Gallagher, and then came off a screen to knock down a three-pointer.
 
The Stags maintained their slim lead into the closing minutes with a Sparks three-pointer running the count to 72-66 with an even 2:00 on the clock. But the Jaspers answered with a three-pointer of their own, then drew a foul on a trey attempt and made all three charity tosses to tie the game for the seventh and ultimately final time at 72-72 with 1:06 to go. Both teams came up empty on contested looks in the final 66 seconds of regulation, sending the game into overtime still knotted at 72.
 
A Jenkins layup opened the scoring in the extra session, followed by a Sparks triple and a pair of free throws from the junior to quickly run the margin to 79-72. Manhattan made its final put with a 7-2 run to cut the Fairfield advantage to 81-79 with 1:02 left, but Bergens delivered a dagger three-pointer on the ensuing Stags' possession and, despite the Jaspers continuing to put points on the board, Fairfield made its free throws in the last minute to salt away the 87-84 victory.
 
Sparks had six points, two rebounds and two assists in the overtime period, while Jenkins went 2-for-2 down low for four points during the bonus session.

Fairfield's last overtime game prior to this evening was a 76-72 win over The Mount at Mahoney Arena on Feb. 12, 2023. Manhattan is now 1-2 in overtime this season, including two of its five MAAC losses.
 
The Stags return to action and return to Leo D. Mahoney Arena on Saturday, Jan. 25 with a 7 p.m. visit from Merrimack. The Warriors were on the plus side of a defensive battle tonight at Saint Peter's, taking a 48-37 decision from the reigning MAAC champions.
 
Tickets for Saturday evening's game are on sale now at FairfieldStags.com/TIX.