FAIRFIELD, Conn. – In a game featuring nine ties and 11 lead changes, Fairfield University Men's Basketball battled past visiting NJIT for a 63-60 win on Saturday night at Leo D. Mahoney Arena.
Declan Wucherpfennig scored a game-high 19 points, and
Cole Edelen hit two of his three three-pointers in the closing minutes to seal the home triumph.
"That was a gritty win, and it was a win led by our defense and defensive intensity," said Head Coach
Chris Casey. "We still need to limit our fouling and do a better job of clearing the defensive boards, but when the game was on the line, we did a great job of locking them down and getting the stops we needed."
With the win, Fairfield improved to 2-2 on the season. NJIT fell to 1-5.
Wucherpfennig scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half, including a 4-for-4 stretch at the free throw line in the final 18 seconds of the contest. The Metro's Preseason Player of the Year also hauled in a team-leading eight rebounds, including three from the offensive glass.
Tony Williams added nine points, and Edelen had nine to pace the Stags to a 24-7 advantage in bench points.
Jaden Brown chipped in eight points in a reserve role. Sharing time at the 5,
Peyton Smith and
Isaac Munkadi each contributed four points and five rebounds.
Jah Hatchett dished out five assists to go with his five points on the day.
After NJIT claimed an early 5-2 lead, the Stags jumped in front courtesy of four three-pointers from four different players as Williams, Hatchett, Mejia, and Brown all knocked down a triple. A traditional three-point play from Brown and a Munkadi layup briefly grew the lead to eight points at 22-14, but the Highlanders responded with a 16-5 stretch to take the lead as the half reached its final minute. Edelen knocked down a triple to knot the score once again at 30-30 before NJIT tacked on two free throws to send the game to the intermission with the visitors in front, 32-30.
After being limited to two points in the first half, Wucherpfennig got going early after the break, scoring nine in the first five minutes to help stake the Stags to a 44-38 lead. The Highlanders responded with a 7-0 run to regain the lead, and the lead swung four more timing in the ensuing stretch, capped by an Edelen triple that put Fairfield in front, 52-51, as the clock ticked under five minutes to play. The back-and-forth continued out to a 56-56 stalemate before the Highlanders' Victor Vanderstraeten converted down low to put the visitors on top, 58-56, with 1:38 remaining.
After a Fairfield timeout, the ball found Edelen open on the wing for his third trey of the day, giving Fairfield a lead they would not relinquish. The Stags got consecutive stops to maintain the advantage and then Wucherpfennig knocked down two free throws to extend the cushion to three points. NJIT cut it back to one with a layup with 3.5 seconds left, but Wucherpfennig added two more at the stripe to ice the win, 63-60.
Mario Tatum Jr. had a team-best 13 points for the Highlanders, and Vanderstraeten added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Reigning America East Rookie of the Year David Bolden was held to an 0-for-5 scoring day by the Fairfield defense, though he did fill out his statline with five points, five rebounds, and seven assists.
Fairfield Men's Basketball is back in action at Leo D. Mahoney Arena this Wednesday, Nov. 18 to host St. Joseph's Brooklyn at 7 p.m.
