Box Score

SAN JUAN, P.R. - Greg Nero scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Fairfield University men's basketball team to a 61-42 win over Chattanooga. The win allowed the Stags to finish the O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip Off on a good note, giving the team a 1-2 record in the three-game tourney.

Fairfield never trailed in this game and handled the Mocs from the outset. The Stags opened the game with Jonathan Han's three-point shot followed a Nero layup to take a 5-0 lead. After Niccchaeus Doaks made a layup to put Chattanooga on the board, Warren Edney and Han connected on three pointers consecutively to push the lead to 11-2.

The lead reached double digits after Yorel Hakwins' three pointer made the score 14-4 at the 12:36 mark. Chattanooga cut the lead back to single digits at 18-10 with four minutes on the clock, but Nero answered the short 6-4 spurt with a Nero layup and a Ryan Olander three-point jumper to make the score 23-10 with two minutes remaining.

The Mocs cut the lead to nine at intermission at 25-16, but Fairfield went on a 7-2 run to start the second half to regain its 14-point advantage at 32-18 with 17:34 on the clock. The Stags would never lead by less than 12 from that point, building the lead to as many as 24 points on several occasions, the last coming at 54-30 at the 7:29 mark following Han's jumper.

Those points would be Fairfield's last for nearly six minutes which allowed Chattanooga put together 12 straight points to slice the lead in half at 54-42 with 1:52 remaing. The Stags tallied the next five points after Nero scored a bucket and Hawkins hit another three-point shot to make the lead 17 points, 59-42.

Fairfield's defense shut down Chattanooga's leading scorer Stephen McDowell, as the guard managed just seven points against the Stags stifling defense. The Stags held the Mocs to 35 percent from the field and 11 percent from three-point range (1 of 12).

On the other hand, the Stags enjoyed its best game of the season from beyond the arc, hitting 10 of 20 shots with six different Stags making at least one three pointer. Fairfield also enjoyed a decisive advantage on the boards, outrebounding the Mocs by 12 (40-28).

The Stags return home for their next game as they host American University at Alumni Hall on November 29. Game time is slated for 7:30 pm.