Feb. 2, 2007
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Fairfield University men's basketball team extended its winning streak to six games with a 67-63 win over Canisius College. Senior Michael Van Schaick tallied a game-high 25 points, which included 21 second-half markers. The guard made five of six three-point shots and was eight of 10 from the floor overall.
But Van Schaick's role was certainly more important than the total number of points he scored. The timing of his points is what made his game so impressive. He broke two ties with a three-point basket to keep Fairfield in the lead. The Golden Griffs tied the game at 39-39 with 11:42 remaining in the second half, after the home team erased a five-point half time deficit. The Stags regained the lead on their next possession when Van Schaick hit a three-point basket off a pass from Herbie Allen.
The Stags pushed that lead to six points at 48-42 with 9:22 left in the game, but Canisius responded with a mini-run once again to tie the game at 55-55 off a Shaun James free throw. Fairfield brought the ball up court after James' shot and regained the lead when Jonathan Han found Van Schaick open at the top of the arc for a three pointer and a 58-55 advantage.
The lead reached six points thanks to Van Schaick's three-point play with 1:21 remaining in the game which pushed the score to 61-55. The Griffs started to foul at the point to send Fairfield to the line. The Stags made four of six free throws down the stretch which enabled them to hold a five-point advantage at 65-60 with 15 seconds remaining. Frank Turner hit a three-point basket with seven seconds remaining to make it a two-point deficit.
Head Coach Ed Cooley called a play that allowed Van Schaick to get open for the inbound pass, and the Griffs were forced to foul him immediately. The senior connected on both charity tosses to make it a four-point lead and more importanly, a two-posession game with seven seconds left. Canisius came up short on a three-point attempt and Mamadou Diakhate grabbed the rebound and ran the clock out.
The Golden Griffs fell behind by as many as 15 points in the first half at 27-12 with seven minutes left. Canisius used a strong defensive effort over the final seven minutes, allowing only a Devin Johnson layup during the stretch. Meanwhile, the home team tallied 12 points in the same amount of time to cut the lead to five points at halftime, 29-24.
Greg Nero and Marty O'Sullivan each tallied 13 points for the Stags. Darnell Wilson led all Canisius scorers with 19 markers and added 12 rebounds to complete the double double. The loss ended Canisius' five-game win streak.
