Jan 8, 2004
ELON, N.C. -- Deng Gai registered his second straight double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Fairfield University men's basketball team to a 69-64 victory over Elon University, halting the Stags three-game losing streak. Gai was one of three Stags to reach the 10-point mark, with Kudjo Sogadzi and DeWitt Maxwell came off the bench to score 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Fairfield fell behind early in the game, trailing by seven points with 14:40 remaining in the first half at 12-5. Michael Bell and Gai each hit a three-point basket on consecutive possessions to cut the lead to one point, 12-11. The Stags eventually tied the game at 21-21 on Rob Thomson's offensive put back basket with 7:33 left on the clock.
After getting a defensive stop, Gai gave Fairfield its second lead of the game with a jumper from the corner, making the score 23-21. The Red and White eventually built a three-point half time lead at 35-32, as Gai was responsible for 12 of the team's 35 first-half markers.
Elon opened the second with a 5-1 run to retake the lead at 37-35, with Matt Nowlin's three-point basket pushing the Phoenix back in front. Gai and Maxwell each made one of two free throws to make up that two-point deficit, tying the game at 37-37. Terrence Todd also made one of two charity tosses two possessions later, giving Fairfield the lead for good at 38-37.
The Phoenix managed to tie the game two more times at 41-41 with 13:11 remaining, and at 43-43 with 12:37 left on the clock. Fairfield broke that tie with a 7-0 run, thanks for five points from Sogadzi. The Red and White built the lead to eight points, 57-49, with 7:28 remaining, but would go nearly four minutes without scoring. That scoring drought allowed Elon to fight its way back into the game, closing the lead to 57-56 with four minutes left in regulation.
Fairfield regained a four-point lead in the closing minute, but Scottie Rice's three pointer made the score 65-64 with 28 seconds left. Two fast-break baskets in the final seconds allowed the Stags to hold on for the win.
Rice finished the game with 20 points and nine rebounds in 36 minutes, while Jackson Atoyebi and Gary Marsh added 14 and 13 points, respectively, for Elon.
