Nov 27, 2001
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Brian Woodward came off the bench to score 18 points and dish off six assists, as the University of Rhode Island (2-1) spoiled Fairfield University's (0-3) home opener with a 59-57 victory. The game was the first men's basketball game played at the Arena at Harbor Yard, the Stags new home for basketball.
The Stags jumped out to an early lead, enjoying its biggest lead of the game at 13-6 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. The Rams used a 9-2 run over the next five minutes to tie the score at 15-15 with 5:07 left in the period. Rhode Island took the lead for good on Jason Nickers' jumper at 3:57, making the score 17-15. The visitors would go on to take a seven-point lead, before Rob Thomson's layup at the buzzer made the halftime score 27-22. Woodward finished the half with five points, all coming off the free throw line.
Fairfield hung around through the first ten minutes of the second half, pulling to within three on a couple of occasions. With the score 38-35 in favor of the Rams, Rhode Island put together a 10-0 run, all coming from Woodward, for a 13-point advantage at 48-35 with eight minutes left in the game. Fairfield slowly fought its way back into contention with 15-4 run, for only a two-point separation at 52-50 with three minutes remaining.
Rhode Island scored the next five points to gain some breathing room at 57-50, but a Deng Gai layup and a pair of free throws by Sam Spann made the score 57-54 with one minute remaining. Nickers made one of two free throws for a 58-54 advantage, which was nearly erased on Dan Galvanoni's three-pointer with nine seconds remaining. Woodward was fouled with nine-tenths of a second on the clock, and netted just one of the two free throws for a 59-57 lead. Gai's three-point attempt at the buzzer fell short.
Spann finished the game with 16 points and nine rebounds for the Stags.
