Feb. 9, 2003
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Deng Gai scored a game-high 19 points, shooting seven of 12 from the field, in an 85-74 loss to Niagara University on Sunday afternoon. Gai was one of four Fairfield players to reach the 10-point mark, joining Dewitt Maxwell, Oscar Garcia and Rob Thomson.
After a two-point basket by Tremmell Darden, Fairfield took its first lead of the game when Gai scored three points with a basket and a free throw. James Mathis scored the next four points for the Purple Eagles, pushing the team out in front at 6-3. The Stags used an 8-2 spurt to take its biggest lead at 11-8. Gai scored six of the eight points during that run.
The game remained nip and tuck for the next six minutes, with Fairfield remaining in the lead at 27-26 with 6:13 remaining in the half. Niagara scored the next eight points, four from Juan Mendez and from Darden for the Eagles biggest lead of the half, 34-27. Fairfield's defense held Niagara to just four more points over the final four minutes, and pulled within four points at intermission, 38-35. Garcia contributed five points to the Stags 8-4 end-of-half run.
Garcia scored the first basket of the second half, cutting the lead to just one point at 38-37. But once again, Niagara put together a string of eight points, which pushed the visitors' advantage to nine points at 47-38. The lead reached 10 points, 56-46, with 12:28 remaining, before the Stags made a valiant come back. Maxwell scored four points, while Tyquawn Goode added a trey in a 9-1 run which made the score 57-55 with 9:39 left on the clock.
The Stags traded baskets on the next three possessions to remain two points back, before Darden's three-point basket increased the deficit to five points. The three points were the first of nine straight for the Purple Eagles, which made the score 70-59 with 4:41 remaining. Fairfield was never able to pull closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
Maxwell and Garcia each finished the game with 12 points, while Thomson added 10 markers to the Stags cause. Maxwell also contributed a team-hgih eight rebounds, six of which came off the offensive glass. Darden led all scorers with 26 points, hitting eight of 10 shots from the floor and eight of 10 from the free throw line. Mendez tallied 16 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double.
