Jan. 18, 2003
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- Nick Delfico came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points to lift Fairfield University (10-5 overall, 6-0 MAAC) to an 82-78 win over Iona College. The victory improved the Stags' win streak to five games, and their road win streak to three games.
Iona controlled early in the game, as Courtney Fields' laid the ball in for a 6-4 Iona lead. The Gaels led by as many as four points, 15-11, with 12:56 remaining in the first half. Courtney Fields scored seven points, while Steve Smith added six points during the Gaels' opening run.
Fairfield scored the next seven points and used a 10-2 spurt to turn the four-point deficit into a four-point lead at 21-17 with 10:33 on the clock. Delfico tallied five points during that run, and later added a three-point shot to make the score 24-19. A pair of free throws by Terrence Todd pushed the lead to seven points at 26-19 with 8:55 remaining. The Red and White's lead reached as many as 12 points, as a three-point play by Oscar Garcia made the score 36-24 with 3:47 left in the half. The Gaels used a late run at the end of the half to pull closer, as Steve Burtt Jr.'s lay up cut the lead to seven points, 40-33.
Iona opened the second half with an 11-2 run to regain the lead at 44-42. The Gaels used the free throw line during the run, making seven of eight charity tosses in the first two-plus minutes of the second half. Iona kept the pressure on, which helped the home team's lead move to five points with 14 minutes remaining.
Fairfield used an 8-2 run over the next two minutes to regain the lead at 56-55. The two teams traded baskets on their next two possessions, before Ajou Deng hit a three-pointer with 11:55 remaining to push Fairfield in the lead for good at 61-59. Fairfield's lead reached seven points at 75-68 off two Tyquawn Goode's two free throws with four-plus minutes left on the clock.
The Gaels came back with one more flourish, pulling within one point at 79-78 following a lay up by Charles Henson. Oscar Garcia pushed the lead to three points with a layup off an assist from Deng Gai. After an errant three-point try by Steve Burtt, Kudjo Sogadzi sealed the win with a free throw with four seconds left.
Garcia scored 17 points, while Sogadzi added 16 markers for the Stags. Iona's Fields led all scorers with 26 points.
