Feb. 25, 2007
JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Senior leadership. You've heard a coach say those two words before a game and after a game. You've heard a coach say those two words after a win or after a loss. Fairfield University Head Coach Ed Cooley pulled out those two words as quickly as a proud parent pulls out photos from a wallet on Sunday evening. Coach Cooley knew that it was senior leadership that led the Fairfield University men's basketball team to a 63-60 come-from-behind win over Saint Peter's College on Sunday afternoon.
"Our seniors would not let us lose this game," Cooley said. "We received senior leadership tonight and that's why we won tonight. I can't say enough about our seniors and what they have done for us this year."
The seniors came together at the end of the game and carried the team to a victory that pushed Fairfield to the number six seed in next weekend's Bank of America MAAC Men's Basketball Championship at the Arena at Harbor Yard. Marty O'Sullivan came off the bench to bolster the team's play in the paint during the second half. And, Michael Van Schaick tallied 20 second-half points en route to a team-high 25 points.
The Stags enjoyed an early lead, holding a two-point advantage twice in the opening five minutes at 5-3 and 7-5. Saint Peter's erased the second of those leads with a 12-1 run over the next six minutes to take its biggest lead of the half at 17-8 with 9:12 on the clock. Greg Nero cut into that lead with a three-point basket from the corner, while Anthony Johnson followed with a lay up on the next possession to make the score 17-13. The lead hovered around the four-point mark for the remainder of the half, before the Peacocks pushed the advantage to five points by half time at 25-20.
Saint Peter's scored the first four points of the second half to equal its biggest lead at nine points, 29-20. Once again, the Stags fought back to within a possession at 29-26 after Van Schaick and Johnson each tallied three points in a 6-0 run. Saint Peter's held on to the lead for the next six minutes, raising its advantage to six points at 43-37 with 9:49 remaining in the second half.
The Stags erased the lead with six straight points off of a lay up by Mamadou Diakhate and four free throws by Jonathan Han to make the score 43-43. Akeen Gooding put the home team back in front with a lay up. However, Van Schaick hit a three-point basket on the next possession to give Fairfield the lead at 46-45, its first advantage since early in the first half. Saint Peter's scored four quick points to move ahead by three points, as Todd Sowell hit two free throws and Raul Orta stole the ball and dunked it for a pair of points.
Van Schaick tied the game with a three pointer on the next possession, and gave his teammates the lead with two free throws at the 3:59 mark, making the score 51-49. Sowell tied the game with 3:23 remaining, but the tie was shortlived as Van Schaick netted two more free throws for a 53-51 lead. The senior doubled the advantage with a lay up with 2:38 on the clock. Saint Peter's eventually cut the lead to one point at 57-56, but Van Schaick answered with another three pointers to regain the four-point lead.
Jonthan Han just missed the double double with 10 points and nine rebounds, and added five assists and three steals. Sowell led all Saint Peter's scorers wtih 15 points.
