Box Score

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Warren Edney's three-point field goal with four seconds remaining in regulation pushed the men's basketball team's win streak to five games with a 78-76 victory over Iona College. The Stags improved to 2-0 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play.

This game had heartbreaker written all over for it for Fairfield fans, as the team nearly lost a double-digit lead in the closing minute. With 5:41 remaining in the game, Greg Nero's lay-up made the score 71-61. Nero's hoop would Fairfield's last until Jonathan Han's lay-up with 1:24 on the clock.

During that four-plus minutes, Iona went on a 9-0 run that cut the lead to one point at 71-70. Fairfield missed four free throws during that stretch, which further allowed the Gaels to cut into the deficit.  Han stopped the streak with a free throw and added a lay-up eight seconds later to give the Stags a four-point lead at 74-70.

Rashon Dwight's drive to the basket yielded a two-point basket to bring the visitors within two points, 74-72, but Han netted one of two free throws with 46 seconds on the clock for a 75-72 lead. Dwight answered Han with one of two charity tosses of his own for a 75-73 lead. After the Stags turned the ball over in the backcourt, Iona took advantage of the miscue when Jonathan Huffman hit a three-point shot from the corner to give the Gaels a 76-75 advantage, the team's first lead since 12-10 with 14:40 left in the first half.

The Stags had just 13 seconds to make magic happen and they did just that. Han drove the length of the court and found Edney in the far corner. The sophomore went straight up without any hesitation and nailed the 22-footer with four seconds remaining. Iona brought the ball down court, but did not get a shot off.

Fairfield had not trailed in a game since the five-minute mark against American, a span of 85 minutes. The streak ended early this afternoon as the Gaels scored six straight points to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 lead. Iona held the advantage until the 14:07 mark when Lyndon Jordan hit a jumper to tie the game at 12-12. Jordan's basket would ignite a 10-0 run that include four points from Anthony Johnson and Edney to push the Stags in front, 20-12.

The first-half lead would reach double figures with 7:17 remaining when Sean Crawford hit a pair of free throws, resulting in a 24-14 Stags lead. Iona would cut the lead to five points at 33-28 with just under three minutes left, but Fairfield doubled that advantage with a 5-0 run for a 38-28 lead with 1:56 on the clock. The Stags would eventually settle for a nine-point edge at halftime, 40-31.

Han finished the contest with a team-high 20 points, while Edney and Johnson added 17 and 10 points, respectively. Clarke scored a game-high 24 points for Iona, hitting 16 of 19 free throws in the game.

The Stags return to action on Thursday, December 11 when they travel to Fordham University. Fairfield finishes up the semester with a home game against Drexel University on December 14.