Feb 5, 2004
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Rob Thomson tallied his fifth double double of the season with a career-high 21 points and 11 rebounds, leading Fairfield University to a 67-63 win over Canisius College on the road. Thomson was one of three players to reach double digits, joining DeWitt Maxwell and Kudjo Sogadzi, who tallied 16 and 12 points, respectively.
Canisius took an early lead by scoring seven of the first nine points of the game. The lead was pushed to seven points following a jumper by Richard Jones, making the score 13-6. Fairfield scored the next seven points to tie the game at 13-13, tying the score on Sogadzi's three-point basket. After three changes, Fairfield tied the score for the last time at 24-24 when Tyquawn Goode hit a three-pointer with six minutes remaining in the half.
The Stags continued its run with seven more points to make the score 31-24, as Thomson and Sogadzi each hit a pair of free throws, followed by another Goode three pointer. Fairfield improved on its advantage by the time the first-half buzzer sounded, taking a 12-point lead into the locker room at 40-28.
The Golden Griffs started the second half with an 11-3 run which cut the lead to four points, 43-39. Fairfield had trouble scoring to start the second half, and did not connect for a basket in the first seven minutes of the second half. Despite the scoring drought, the Stags remained in the lead, never relinquishing their advantage. Even though the Griffs cut the lead to one point 62-61 with 1:39 remaining, the Stags did not panic.
Ahead by one point, Fairfield scored on its next possession, courtesy of a lay up by Maxwell. The lead reached four points when Thomson made one of two free throws, which was key because it became a two-possession game. Canisius' Jon Ferris cut the deficit in half with a pair of free throws, before Thomson iced the game with a layup off an offensive rebound with one second on the shot clock. Toby Foster tried a three-pointer with eight seconds left, but the ball never found the basket, securing the Fairfield win.
