Jan 16, 2004
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- Four players scored in double digits, led by Deng Gai's 19 points, in Fairfield University's 81-78 win over Iona College on the road. Terrence Todd (18 points), Kudjo Sogadzi (17 points) and Tyquawn Goode (12 points) also reached double digits in the game.
Sogadzi was responsible for the Stags quick start, as he scored five of the team's first seven points which helped build a 7-2 lead three minutes into the game. The Gaels hung within a six points for the next six minutes, until a 7-0 run pushed the lead to 11 points at 20-9 with 12:33 remaining in the half.
Iona cut the lead to five points with a 10-4 spurt, making the score 24-19 as Steve Burtt scored four points during the stretch. The Stags rebuilt the double digit advantage soon after that point, as a Todd jumper at the 7:53 mark made the score 29-19. Iona never came closer than eight points during the remainder of the half, as the Stags eventually built a 43-29 halftime lead.
The lead hovered around the 10-point mark for most of the second half, but the advantage received a big boost when Iona's DeShaun Williams was called for a flagarant foul on Sogadzi with 9:42 remaining in the game. Sogadzi made both free throws to make the score 62-49. The Stags retained possession of the ball due to the flagarant foul, and added three more points off Gai's long-range jumper for a five-point possession.
The Stags held a lead of 17 points with 8:53 remaining, but the Gaels were not yet ready to concede the game. Trailing 68-51 with 8:10 left in the game, Iona slowly cut into the deficit bringing it down to 11 points, 71-60, with five minutes remaining. Following a layup by Greg Jenkins, the score stooed at 75-67 with 1:49 on the clock. Fairfield made four of eight free throws down the stretch, which opened the door for Iona.
The Gaels scored on its last six possessions of the game, the last of which was a three-point basket by Burtt, which made the score 81-78 with 10 seconds left. After two missed free throws by Fairfield, Iona was in position to tie the game with 10 seconds left. The Gaels came down court and set up Burtt for a three-pointer, but his off-balance shot missed hard off the backboard, which was rebounded by Tyquawn Goode as time expired.
Goode finished the game with 12 points, making all three field goal attempts including a pair of three-point tries, and dished off six assists in 30 minutes off the bench. Burtt led all scorers in the game with 22 points, making 10 of 20 field goal attempts.
