Box Score 

           CINCINNATI, Ohio - The basketball adage states that teams that live by the three pointer will sometimes die by the three pointer. After being on life support in the first half by making just two of 11 shots from behind the arc, the Stags used the three-point hoop as a weapon to get back into the game and nearly overcome a 12-point halftime deficit in a 69-64 loss to the University of Cincinnati.

             Fairfield started slowly in the first half, falling behind by five points at 6-1 in the opening minutes. The Bearcats slowly built on that lead over the next eight minutes to take their biggest lead to that point at 19-11 with 8:27 on the clock. The Stags were stuck on the 11-point mark for nearly four minutes but a layup by Anthony Johnson broke the scoreless stretch and kept Fairfield within striking distance at 19-13.

            The home team used an 8-2 spurt to take a double-digit lead at 27-15 with two minutes remaining, a lead which it would continue to hold at intermission.

            Similar to the American game just a week ago, Fairfield utilized an aggressive defense to get back in the game early in the second half. The Stags outscored their host by a 12-3 count in the first five minutes of the half to pull within three points at 35-33. Fairfield withstood Cincinnati's attempt to break open the game once again as the Bearcats pushed their advantage to eight points at 40-32.

            Once again, Fairfield used the three-point shot to demoralize its opponent, as Yorel Hawkins, Jonathan Han, and Marty O'Sullivan hit three-point baskets on three consecutive possessions to make the score 42-41 with 11 minutes remaining. Fairfield hung within a point at 44-43 when Warren Edney made the first free throw in a two-shot foul. However, the Stags were called for a lane violation which took away Edney's second charity toss and his attempt to tie the game for the first time.

            Larry Davis took advantage of the miscue by hitting a three-point basket for Cincinnati, pushing the lead to four points. More importantly, Davis' shot started a 10-0 run that gave the home team a 54-43 advantage with 6:53 remaining in the game. Fairfield never pulled closer than five points from that point, as Han knocked down a three-point shot with one second left to make the final score 69-64.

            Han tallied all 20 of his points in the second half, including four of the team's eight second-half three pointers. O'Sullivan played his best game of the season with eight points, nailing a pair of three pointers. Anthony Johnson tallied his second double double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

            Fairfield outrebounded the Bearcats by a 40-28 count, including an impressive 17-6 margin on the offensive glass. The Stags outscored Cincinnati by a 23-6 count on second chance points, and held the home team to just six fast-break points.

            Rashad Bishop led all Cincinnati scorers with 12 points, six of which came off three-point shots.

            Fairfield returns to action on  Wednesday, November 28 when it plays the second of three straight road games, heading to St. Francis College in New York.