Feb. 7, 2004
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. -- DeWitt Maxwell tied his season-high with 22 points, while Kudjo Sogadzi added 16 points as Fairfield University (14-8 overall, 7-4 MAAC) won its fifth straight game with a 69-59 win over Niagara University (14-7, 8-4) on the road. The five-game win streak is the second of its kind this year, with the Stags winning that many between December 7-29.
The Stags jumped to a 5-0 off a Maxwell three-point basket and Tyquawn Goode's steal and layup in the opening 90 seconds. Niagara used a 9-2 spurt to take the lead at the 16-minute mark, going in front on Juan Mendez's tip-in. The Stags regained the lead on Maxwell's three-point play for a 10-9 advantage. There were four more lead changes on the next four possessions, ending with Fairfield in front, 15-14 off Rob Thomson's jumper.
Niagara still trailed by a point at 17-16, but scored nine points in a row to take its biggest lead of the game, 25-17, following Lorenzo Miles' three-pointer. The Stags slowly cut into the deficit, pulling with three points at 27-24 after a three-point play by Sogadzi. The Purple Eagle lead went up to seven points, 33-26, but the Stags ended the half with four straight points - a layup from Maxwell and two free throws from Sogadzi - to make the score 33-30 at halftime.
The Stags opened the second half with a game-tying three-point basket by Michael Bell, before Niagara recaptured the lead on its first possession of the period off James Reaves' jumper. The Red and White took the lead for good when Bell hit another three-point basket with 16:58 left in the game, pushing the score to 38-36.
The Stags defense was stifling as usual, holding to Niagara to no baskets for more than seven minutes in the closing nine minutes of the game. Lorenzo Miles converted a three-point play with 9:14 remaining in the game, which was the last field goal until Alvin Cruz hit a three-point basket with 2:24 remaining. Cruz's basket was the last basket for the Purple Eagles. During the last nine minutes, Niagara scored just eight points, five of which came from the free throw line.
Michael Bell and Tyquawn Goode each reached double figures with 10 points each. The five starters each played at least 35 minutes in the game, with Brad Feleccia receiving the most time off the bench at 10 minutes. He also had the only two points scored by the bench in the game. Juan Mendez led all Niagara scorers with 17 points whle Tremmell Darden added 11 markers for the Purple Eagles.
