Jan. 5, 2003
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Oscar Garcia scored a game-high 16 points, while Nick Delfico added 13 points to help Fairfield University (6-5 overall) defeat Yale University (5-5 overall) by a 59-57 score.
The Stags started the game quickly, outscoring the Bulldogs by a 10-2 count with 16:27 remaining in the first half. Neither team scored for the next four minutes, as Yale broke the drought on Ime Archibong's fast break lay up. Archibong followed with a three-pointer, and Justin Simon added a jumper for Yale, cutting the lead to 11-9 with 10:19 remaining. Fairfield pushed the lead back to eight points at 17-9, including four from Deng Gai, but Yale battled back to within two at 17-15 courtesy of back-to-back three pointers by Paul Vitelli.
Fairfield scored the next nine points, five of which came off Delfico jump shots, to take its first double-digit lead of the game at 26-15. The Stags lead reached 14 points, 31-17 with 59 seconds left, before they settled for an 13-point halftime advantage at 33-20.
Yale, which made just one of seven three-point shots in the first half, came out with a flurry of three-pointers, which helped the team climb back into the game. The Bulldogs hit their first three shots from behind the arc, two from Chris Leanza and one from Edwin Draughan, which helped the team pull to within six points at 37-31. The comeback continued with three-pointers from Matt Minoff and Vitelli, which pulled the Bulldogs even closer. Yale secured its first lead of the game on a lay up by Scott Gaffield, making the score 41-40 with 11:41 remaining in the game.
Fairfield regained the lead on Kudjo Sogadzi's three-pointer for a 43-41 advantage, but Yale took the lead on a three-point play by Archibong, which pushed the Bulldogs ahead at 44-43. Sogadzi hit his second three-pointer on Fairfield's next possession, making the score 46-44, but Draughan tied the game at 46. Thomson put the Stags in the lead for good with a three-point play with 7:58 remaining.
The lead reached as many as seven points, 57-50 with four minutes remaining, but Yale was not finished. The Bulldogs used a 7-2 run over the final three-plus minutes to close within a basket at 59-57. Minoff took a shot with two seconds remaining in regulation, but the shot was off the mark. Delfico pulled down the rebound, and was fouled. He missed the front end of the one-and-one, but Minoff's desperation heave from the Fairfield foul line did not find any of the basket.
Vitelli paced the Bulldog offense with 13 points, while Leanza and Archibong each added 10 points. Thomson finished with eight points, five blocks and six rebounds for Fairfield, with Deng Gai contributing eight points and a game-high nine rebounds.
