Feb. 19, 2004
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Rob Thomson registered his eighth double double of the season with 21 points and 14 rebounds, leading Fairfield University to an 82--57 win over Iona College. Thomson's 21 points tied his career high, a mark which he has hit three times this season.
Thomson scored with a jumper on the Stags' first possession of the game, but saw that lead disappear on Ricky Soliver's three-point basket. Fairfield built its lead to seven points over the next five minutes, as Tyquawn Goode's three-point basket made the score 18-11 with 13:11 left on the clock.
Soliver netted the next five points for the Gaels, which started a 12-3 run that put Iona back on top by a 23-21 margin with seven minutes remaining in the first half. Iona went in front thanks to a three-point play by Steve Burtt, who converted a fast-break layup and added a free throw. The lead was shortlived, with Thomson's layup tying the score at 23-23. That layup was the start of an 18-2 run which finished off the first half and gave Fairfield its largest lead to that point, 39-25.
DeWitt Maxwell started the second half with a couple of free throws for Fairfield, giving the home team a 16-point advantage. The lead hovered around 16 points, 49-33 with 13:39 remaining, until the Stags took complete control of the game. Over the next six minutes, Fairfield increased its advantage to 31 points, 71-40 with 6:23 left on the game clock. Fairfield scored the final eight points of that 22-7 run from the free throw line, as four different Stags made a pair of charity tosses.
Iona came as close as 21 points in closing minutes, 78-57, before Fairfield finished off the game with a layup from Marty O'Sullivan and a jumper by Brad Feleccia. Maxwell and O'Sullivan both finished in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Soliver led all Iona scorers with 18 points, making seven of 13 shots from the floor.
