Feb. 19, 2007
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Michael Van Schaick made the most of his final regular-season appearance at the Arena at Harbor Yard on Monday night. But despite being the team's co-leader in scoring, Van Schaick could not help the Fairfield University men's basketball team overcome first-place Marist College as the Red Foxes posted a 67-60 win. Still, Van Schaick was able to tie the school record for three-point baskets in a season when he hit his 80th long-range jumper of the campaign in the second half.
Fairfield put together a solid first half that saw it lead for most of the 20-minute period. The Stags fell behind when Marist's James Smith built a 5-2 lead for the visitors with a lay up and a three-point basket. Van Schaick tied the game with his first three pointer of the night, which started a 9-0 run that put the Stags in front at 11-5 with 11:14 on the clock.
Four minutes later, Fairfield still had its six point lead at 20-14, but the Red Foxes mounted a come back with an 8-2 run that tied the game at 22-22 with 4:33 remaining. Van Schaick answered once again with a three-point basket that recaptured the Fairfield lead, an advantage which eventually reached six points at 30-24 with under two minutes remaining. Ryan Stilphen tallied three straight points for Marist in the closing minute to give Fairfield a 30-27 halftime lead.
A strong start to the second half allowed the Red Foxes to overcome the halftime deficit, as the team scored 11 of the first 17 points in the half to take a 38-36 lead off a three-point basket by Smith. A pair of free throws by Han tied the game and started a 6-0 run that pushed Fairfield back in front by four points, 42-38.
Smith stuck a three-point basket to nearly erase the Red Fox deficit just a few minutes later. The game was tied when Wilfred Benjamin hit one of two free throws to make the score 42-42 with 11:39 remaining. The score was still knotted at 45-45 when Gerald Carter made a free throw to put Marist in front 46-45, a lead that it would keep the rest of the way. Carter's free throw sparked Marist to an 11-1 run that put the game out of reach at 56-46 with seven minutes remaining.
The two teams combined for 60 three-point attempts in the game with the Stags hitting six of 32 long-range jumpers and Marist connecting on 11 of 28 from behind the arc. After recording a season-low seven turnovers against William & Mary on Saturday, the Stags eclipsed that mark with just five miscues tonight.
Van Schaick tied Greg Francis for the school record with 80 three-point baskets in a season. Francis netted 80 hoops from behind the arc during the 1995-96 campaign.
Fairfield finishes up the regular-season with a road game against Saint Peter's College on Sunday afternoon.
