Feb. 22, 2004
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Rob Thomson scored a career-high 23 points, his third straight game over the 20-point mark, lifting Fairfield University (18-9 overall, 11-5 MAAC) to a 70-59 win over Rider University (15-11, 9-6). The Stags have won nine of their last 10 games, with seven of those victories coming by 10 or more points.
Thomson opened the game with a baby hook in the middle of the lane on the team's first possession. The bucket was the first of 10 straight points for the senior, keeping Fairfield in the game. After falling behind by a 9-2 count, Thomson scored on three of the team's next four possession, making the score 9-8 with 12 minutes left in the first half. Back-to-back layups by Robert Taylor increased Rider's lead to 13-8, but Thomson scored once more to make it 13-10.
Rider outscored the Stags by an 11-6 count over the four minutes, giving the Broncs their biggest lead of the game at 24-16. Fairfield quickly cut into that advantage with seven straight points, starting with a three-point basket from Michael Bell which cut the lead to 24-23 with 4:40 remaining. Thomson continued to be the Stags' offense, hitting a lay up with 3:27 on the clock, completing Fairfield's come back and pushing the Red and White into the lead at 25-24. The Fairfield lead reached five points on back-to-back baskets from Bell and Michael Van Schaick, a lead which the Stags kept at half time, 32-27.
Jerry Johnson and Laurence Young started the second half by sandwiching three-point baskets around a three pointer from Bell, closing the lead to 35-33. Kudjo Sogadzi wrapped two baskets around a hoop from Bell, which completed a 6-0 Stag run and bumped the team's lead to 10 points at 43-33. The Broncs had one more push in them, as Laurence Mouton and Johnson each scored four poins in a 8-0 spurt, cutting the deficit to 43-41 with 10:34 on the clock.
The Stags regained their double figure lead by scoring nine of the next 10 points, making the score 52-42 with 6:52 remaining. Marty O'Sullivan was instrumenal in that run, hitting a jumper and a three pointer for all five of his points. The Broncs never came closer than six points - 54-48 and 59-53 - but the Stags made six straight free throws in the closing minute to keep Rider from having any chance to win the game.
Bell and Goode finished the game with 14 and 11 points, respectively, while Sogadzi just missed double figures with nine points. Johnson paced the Rider offense with 22 points, followed by Mouton's 10 markers.
