Jan. 26, 2007
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - If Head Coach Ed Cooley can get as much from his bench as he did tonight, than the current four-game win streak may just keep getting longer. Three players came off the bench to record a double-digit performance and the reserves outscored the starting five by a couple of points as the Fairfield University men's basketball team won its fourth straight game with a 66-58 decision over Saint Peter's College at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
Sophomore Herbie Allen netted a game-high 19 points in 31 minutes off the bench, while Mamadou Diakhate tallied 11 points and Marty O'Sullivan secured 10 rebounds against the Peacocks. The four players who came off the bench - Allen, Diakhate, O'Sullivan, and Middleton - combined for 34 points, 16 rebounds, and five steals. Michael Van Schaick was the only starter to score in double figures, netting 15 points to extend his double-figure scoring streak to 11 games.
The Stags struggled early in the game by not scoring in the first eight minutes of the contest. Saint Peter's took advantage of the drought by building a 7-0 lead. Jonathan Han finally broke through for Fairfield with a three-point basket at the 11:48 mark to make the score 7-3. The basket started a 10-2 run that would eventually push the Stags in front by a 10-9 score at the 9:53 mark. Allen scored five points in the run, while Diakhate's first basket gave the Stags their first lead.
Fairfield remained in the lead until Kinzey Reeves hit a top-of-the-key three pointer which enabled Saint Peter's to go back on top at 16-14. Allen's jumper on the next possession tied the score at 16-16, the only tie of the game. The Stags finished the half with a slight 6-5 edge that sent the home team into the locker room with a 22-21 lead at intermission.
Saint Peter's started the half quickly with a 10-5 run that gave the Peacocks a four-point lead at 31-27 three minutes into the half. Van Schaick tacked on back-to-back three pointers for Fairfield that made the score 33-31 in favor of the Stags. Saint Peter's remained close for the seven minutes, trailing by only one point at 47-46 following Brandon Brock's jumper.
Once again, Fairfield went to the three-point shot to provide some separation, as Allen and Jonathan Han connected behind the arc on consecutive possessions for a 53-47 advantage with 7:47 remaining in the game. Saint Peter's guard Raul Orta made one of two free throws on the next possession to pull his team within six, the closest it would come the rest of the way. Fairfield built its advantage to 11 points with 27 seconds remaining before Orta's three pointer provided the game's final margin of eight points.
The Stags gathered 14 offensive rebounds in the game, one more than their defensive total, and outrebounded the Peacocks by a 27-23 margin. Saint Peter's missed only six shots in the second half, shooting 68 percent from the floor (13 of 19) and 63 percent from three-point range (5 of 8).
Four Saint Peter's players reached double figures, led by Orta's 13 markers. Brock came off the bench to tally 12 points for the visitors.
Fairfield returns to action on Sunday, January 28 when it hosts Niagara University at 1:30 pm.
