Tuesday, December 11, 2007

  • BC has two chances at three pointers, but both come up short and Geehan grabs the rebound and is fouled. She misses the front end of a one and one but Thoman misses a 3 and Lowenthal grabs the rebound and the Stags win.

Final score: Fairfield 59, Boston College 54

-Tom Cleary

Stags lead 59-54 over BC, 18.3 seconds left

  • Stags have the starting lineup on the floor for the final minute. Wrice and Lowenthal have been key once again, Wrice with 24, Lowenthal with 18.
  • Geehan with a huge steal and is fouled by Swords, her fourth of the game.
  • Geehan goes to the line for 1+1 with 1:01 left in the game. Geehan hits both and its 57-54 Fairfield.
  • Swords fumbles the ball out of bounds and it goes back to the Stags with 46 seconds to go in the game.
  • Caskin takes her time bringing the ball up. Lowenthal gets the ball with 20 seconds left and hits a jumper to give FU a 59-54 lead.
  • BC calls a timeout and has just 18.3 seconds left to avoid the upset.

-Tom Cleary

Fairfield leads 55-54 with 1:11 remaining in the game

  • Excellent find by Caskin, she jumps into the air and finds Groom open on the baseline and she connects on a jumper to give the Stags the lead back, 55-54.
  • BC calls a timeout with 1:11 left.
  • Stags just need one stop to keep in control of this game. 22 seconds on the shot clock after the timeout.

-Tom Cleary
  • Lowenthal collects two offensive rebounds after Caskin and Wrice miss shots...she has been huge in the second half on the boards against two much taller players. Geehan can't hit a turn around shot and BC pushes the ball after Lowenthal is knocked down.
  • Geehan with a steal, using her "Inspector Gadget arms" as Frager calls them. "Boop"
  • Timeout FU as Frager tries to settle the troops with 2:08 left in the game.

-Tom Cleary

BC 54, Fairfield 53; 3:09 Left Second Half

  • Murphy hits the free throw and its 47-45 BC back in the lead.
  • Wrice catches the ball from Caskin and steps into the three and hits it, 48-47, Wrice with 23 points.
  • Swords scores over the Stags frontcourt and its 49-48 BC retakes the lead again.
  • Lowenthal fakes a drive and knocks down a mid range jumper, 50-49 Stags
  • Wrice drives and draws a lot of contact and goes to the line for two shots...she hits one of two, but Lowenthal comes up with a huge offensive rebound on the miss.
  • Wrice gets open for a long three, but it is short and BC gets the ball back with 5 and a half minutes to go in the game.
  • Murphy gets the ball on the baseline with no one guarding here and drops in an easy layup, to tie the game at 51.
  • Wrice misses an open jumper, but Lowenthal collects another offensive rebound. She hits a jumper from the free throw line and its 53-51, Stags back in the lead.
  • Not a good job by the scoreboard operators...BC misses the front end of the one and one and the Stags rebound the ball, but the horn sounds for a sub, stopping the game momentarily as everyone freezes. Fairfield gets the ball out of bounds and everything is fine again.
  • BC hits a 3 and takes the lead back 54-53.
  • Shields drives on Geehan, who steps in and takes a charge to get the ball back for Fairfield heading into the final media timeout of the game.
  • It's time now for the Fairifield University Dance Team...All I Want For Christmas Is You really puts you in the Christmas spirit, it makes the whole night worthwhile.

-Tom Cleary

BC leads 46-45; 7:55 Remaining Second Half

  • Flaherty gets the ball inside and scores, 42-40 BC.
  • Nice drive by BC's Brittany Johnson and she scores to extend the lead back to four, 44-40.
  • Wrice knocks down a NBA range three and its 44-43 now, Wrice has 20.
  • Nice hustle by both sides as the Stags and Eagles players all dive to the floor for a loose ball. A tie-up is called and the Stags get the ball on alternate possession. The ref backs up my analysis by telling both teams "Nice hustle"
  • Wrice with a rebound and she fights out of a double team and gets the ball to Lowenthal who is fouled by Swords and goes to the line for two free throws. Baendu hits both and its 45-44, as the Stags take the lead for the first time in awhile.
  • Murphy gets the ball underneath and she scores and goes to the line for a +1
  • The Stag comes and lurks over Chris and my shoulders during the media timeout, but Simmons chases him off by scratching his nose.
-Tom Cleary

BC 42, FU 38; 11:38 Second Half

  • Johnson drives and scores on the Stags and the lead is back to 3, 37-34.
  • Groom travels and the Stags turn the ball back over. Groom heads to the bench and freshman Joelle Nawrocki takes the floor for the first time tonight.
  • Swords scores and the lead is back to 39-34, Swords with 23.
  • Wrice with a steal and she drives the floor and lays it in, 40-36 BC.
  • Nice pass from Johnson to Miles and BC leads 42-36.
  • Wrice drives once again and scores, 42-38, Wrice now with 17 points on the game.
  • Caskin steals the ball and finds Nawrocki for a three, but it is partially blocked and misses everything.

-Tom Cleary

BC 35, FU 34; 15:10 Remaining Second Half

  • Lowenthal drives to the basket and scores cutting the deficit back down to 3, 30-27 BC.
  • But the Eagles answer right back as Murphy scores and it is 32-27 BC.
  • Swords gets the ball down low and scores on a lay-up and is fouled by Geehan, her third of the game and she takes a seat onthe bench as Swords hits the free throw and gives BC a 35-27 lead.
  • Groom is open for three and hits it at a key time, 35-30 now.
  • Wrice gets a fast break after a rebound is tipped out to her and she scores, 35-32 now. Stags do a good job of keeping composure and cut the lead back quickly.
  • Lowenthal draws an offensive foul and goes down hard, heading to the bench for a breather, but the Stags have the ball back and a chance to tie or cut the lead to one.
  • Wrice drives to the hoop and scores with one second on the shot clock, 35-34 BC. "VERY NICE, SABRA WRICE" according to Jeanne Dimuzio.
  • Offensive foul on Flaherty as she knocks down Miles, costing the Stags a chance to take the lead.

-Tom Cleary

BC leads 30-25; 18:52 Left Second Half

  • BC starts with the ball and the Stags pick up an early foul when Caskin jumps into Swords, but Picco misses a 3 on the in bounds play and the Stags get it back.
  • Fairfield turns the ball right back over when Lowenthal travels and then on the other end, Swords scores to extend the lead to 28-25.
  • The Stags travel again and BC has a chance to extend the lead to its largest of the night and does when Swords scores and stretches the lead to 30-25.
  • Frager calls a timeout after Caskin dribbles the ball across the half court line.

-Tom Cleary

Half-time notes

  • Stags are playing much better then they did last time out against Marist, holding BC to just 26 points and trailing by just one at the half.
  • Wrice and Lowenthal have been key, scoring 19 of the Stags 25 points.
  • Fairfield is being out-rebounded 26-20, but it is much better than other teams have done against BC.
  • Stags are shooting 25 percent from the field, once again not good, but BC is not much better at 33.3 percent and that is keeping the Stags in the game.

-Tom Cleary

BC leads 26-25 at the half

  • BC can't get a shot off before the shot clock expires and the Stags get the ball back with 0.7 seconds on the clock. Frager calls timeout to draw up some sort of catch and shoot play.
  • Fairfield just in bounds the ball and the half ends, with the Stags down by just one point, 26-25.

-Tom Cleary

BC 26-FU 25; 22.6 Seconds Remaining First Half

  • The Stags slow things down and continue to play tight defense. After a steal, Lowenthal is fouled and goes to the line for two free throws, hitting both to give the Stags a 23-22 lead. Lowenthal has a team-high 10 points, one above Wrice's total of 9. BC's Swords leads all scorers with 12.
  • Geehan picks up her second foul and goes to the bench. Thoman gives the lead back to the Eagles with two free throws, and it is 24-23 with a minute and a half left in the first.
  • Lowenthal is blocked by Swords, but Flaherty grabs the ball and scores to give the Stags a 25-24 lead, but it does not last long as Swords scores over Flaherty on the other end and gives BC a 26-25 lead. Swords now with 14 points.
  • The Stags hold the ball too long and with three seconds on the shot clock Wrice throws up a NBA range three which is short.
  • BC gets the ball and calls a timeout with 22.6 seconds left and 21 seconds on the shot clock.
-Tom Cleary

22-21 BC; 3:48 Remaining First Half

  • Geehan makes one of two fre throws to cut the score to 16-14.
  • After BC extended their lead to 18-14, Wrice drives to the lane and puts up a shot. The shot misses, but Sabra is fouled and she goes to the line for two shots. Wrice hits both and the Stags are back within two, 18-16.
  • Fairfield plays tight defense again with Groom on Picco and Picco throws the ball away to give the Stags a chance to tie or take the lead.
  • Groom drops the ball off to Baendu Lowenthal who fakes a drive and hits a jumper to tie the game. But the tie does not last long as Swords lays the ball in on the other end to retake the lead.
  • Wrice drives the baseline and is fouled, sending her to the line for a 1+1 as BC has eight team fouls. Wrice misses the front end and BC charges back down the court. Thoman misses a layup, but Swords puts the ball back in and BC extends to a 22-18 lead.
  • Wrice knocks down a three to cut the deficit to just one, 22-21. Wrice hit the shot from NBA range.
  • Offensive foul on BC and Werts will shoot two after the timeout.

-Tom Cleary

16-13 BC; 7:41 left first half

  • Stags leave Mickel Picco open for a three, but she can not connect and Caskin grabs the rebound and pushes the floor. Chris Simmons was looking at timeouts left when he informed me the Eagles had five fouls, its actually four.
  • BC ends a scoring drought for both teams as Swords scores again, giving her eight points and cutting the lead to 11-10. On the other end the Stags turn the ball over, as Caskin is trapped along the sideline.
  • Frager tells Caskin "We need the ball, go get the ball."
  • Picco with a floater from midrange giving BC the lead back, 12-11
  • Wrice steals the ball and drives the floor and draws a foul from Brown and goes to the line for two. Now BC has five fouls.
  • Wrice hits both and the Stags re-take the lead 13-12.
  • Flaherty comes in off the bench and fouls Murphy down low. Murphy misses the first free throw and connects on the second to tie the game at 13 all.
  • Werts is short on a three and BC pushes the ball, but then slows the pace and finds Murphy on the block. She uses her size to back down Flaherty and scores, drawing a foul in the process and going to the line. Murphy hits the free throw to complete the old-fashioned three point play and give BC a three point lead, 16-13.
  • Shyrell Moore, in for the Stags, slashes to the hoop and misses a layup, but Stephanie Geehan cleans up and is fouled on a putback, going to the line for two free throws after the media timeout.
-Tom Cleary

Stags Lead 11-8; 11:55 Remaining First Half

  • Lowenthal does her best Ashante Samuel impression and picks off a pass from BC and then draws a foul on the other end and knocks down two free throws to extend the lead to 9-6.
  • BC comes right back and Ayla Brown lays the ball in to bring the score back down to one at 9-8.
  • Caskin has to foul Brittany Johnson on a fast break. The foul is worthwhile as Johnson misses both free throws and the Stags control the rebound. Jaclyn Thoman steals the ball back quickly for BC, but misses a layup and then commits a foul, the fifth on the game for BC.
  • CAN DO BAENDU Lowenthal gets inside on Murphy and Swords and scores to extend the lead to 11-8.

Fairfield leads 7-6; 15:11 Left First Half

  • BC strikes first as Swords scores two.
  • Baendu Lowenthal steals the ball from Swords and drives the court to tie the game back up, the Stags have been playing tough defense so far, doubling in the post.
  • Geehan and Groom double Swords and force an off balanced shot and then grab the rebound.
  • Swords is left open at the free throw line and she knocks down a jumper to give BC a 4-2 lead, but Lauren Groom answers right back with a three at the other end to give Fairfield its first lead of the game, 5-4.
  • BC retakes the lead 6-5, but does not hold it for long as Wrice knocks down a jumper on the other end to give the Stags back the lead at 7-6.
-Tom Cleary

Fairfield vs. Boston College Game Blog

The Stags women's basketball team heads back onto the court, looking to end a two game skid, against tough ACC opponent Boston College.

Former BC assistant coach Ed Cooley is in the house with his daughter, hopefully he can see a victory, one the Stags need badly.

Frager and the Stags will have the difficult task of defending one of the top pairs of freshmen in the country, Carolyn Swords and Stefanie Murphy. Swords, who is 6-6 is averaging 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The 6-4 Murphy is averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds per game, first and second in the ACC respectively.

Cathy Inglese's team is 7-2 and averaging 68.2 points per game, while averaging 46.4 rebounds per game.

-Tom Cleary

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Stags lose to Marist 55-44

  • Lowenthal drives and scores out of the timeout to cut lead to 55-44, but its too little too late.
  • Marist dribbling out the shot clock and travels, giving the Stags the ball with 15.8 left.
  • Wrice drives, but loses the ball, off a Marist defneder, 5.5 seconds for Stags.
  • Lowenthal misses a shot and Marist grabs the rebound.
  • Stags fall, 55-44.
  • Defense was tough again, holding the Red Foxes to 55 points, 14 under their average of 69.2 per game. But the offense just wasn't there. Wrice led the way, but was 8-for-21 from the field.

-Tom Cleary

Marist 55-44; 44 Seconds Left

  • Wrice finds Lowenthal at the foul line and she hits a jumer. 50-42 Marist.
  • Marist works the shot clock down and Viani hits a long two, 52-42 Marist.
  • Wrice ducks inside and finds an opening at the foul line, pulls up for a jump shot, but misses.
  • Flores runs around for 10 seconds and then finds an open Viani who hits the dagger, three pointer that ends Fairfield's hopes, 55-42 Stags.
  • Fairfield calls timeout.

-Tom Cleary

50-40 Marist, 2:44 left in the game.

  • Moore with a nice steal and she falls to the floor with the ball and calls a timeout. Stags need points here.

-Tom Cleary

50-40 Marist, 3:13 left in game

  • Lowenthal draws a lot of contact and misses a layup.
  • Wrice hard to the hoop but misses the layup and Geehan called for the foul on the rebound.
    Both of those were shots Fairfield wanted, but both barely missed.
  • Keith Connors misses out on his favorite song and dance as the dance team comes out for "All I Want For Christmas is You"

-Tom Cleary
  • Caskin hits an open shot after nice pass by Geehan, 48-36 Red Foxes.
  • Steal by Caskin gets ball back for Fairfield, two offensive rebounds keep the ball in the Stags hands and Caskin drives to the hoop and misses a shot, but is fouled. Caskin needs to keep creating offense.
  • Caskin hits the first and sends home the second as well, 48-38 Marist.
  • Ticky-tack foul called on Lowenthal sends Flores to the line for two shots. She makes the first and the second, 50-38 Marist.
  • Caskin left open for a long two and she knocks it down, 50-40 Marist. She has seven points, one away from her career high of 8, as Chris Simmons points out.
  • Marist turns the ball over as Viani tries to save the ball, but steps on the baseline and the Red Foxes call a timeout to organize their defense.

-Tom Cleary

6:43 Second Half - Marist 48, Fairfield 34

  • Fitz with great pass to Dalhman after she is doubled and Marist back up 12.
  • Fitz gets ball down low and scores, 48-34 Marist. Caskin dribbles the ball up to Frager and calls timeout. Completely different Fairfield team then I saw all season, still strong defense but the offense is nowhere to be found.
-Tom Cleary

7:53 - Stags down 44-34

  • Wrice has 16 of the Stags 30 points so far, Geehan and Lowenthal are next with 5 each. The rest of the offense needs to step up around Sabra, Baendu has done that this half, they missed her in the first when she was on the bench.
  • Stags with three straight offensive rebounds, two by Geehan, but they need to start hitting these shots.
  • Wrice drives and scores 39-32 Marist.
  • Viani left open for three and she hits it 42-32, Marist back up ten.
  • Fairfield keeps maintaining possession with offensive rebounds, but the shots just aren't dropping.
  • Caskin back into the game after sitting for awhile with three fouls, she needs to bring some stability to the offense.
  • Fitz fouled by Geehan and she goes to the line for two, she hits both and Marist extends the lead to 44-32.
  • Foul line jump shot by Lowenthal, 44-34.
  • Groom with a rebound and as she is starting the fast break, she is called for a double dribble.
  • Fairfield needs a stop now and have to start a run, if they want to get back into the game.

-Tom Cleary

11:21 Second Half: Stags down 39-30

  • Wrice tries to force the ball to Lowenthal and Marist steals it.
  • On the other end Wrice with a nice box out and drives the court and hits a mid range pull up jumper, 30-24 Marist.
  • Fitz continues to dominate down low with a layup over Geehan. 32-24 Marist back up eight.
  • Flores drives and scores, 34-24 Marist, Frager calls a timeout.
  • Nice pass by Groom to Lowenthal and the Stags cut it back to eight, 34-26
  • Flores drives and scores after being fouled by Santiago, Flores to the line for the +1 and she hits...37-26 Marist.
  • Wrice misses a three, but Lowenthal grabs the rebound underneath and her put back is good, 37-28 Marist.
  • Pull up jumper by Wrice and Stags within seven, 37-30.
  • Fitz comes right back with a two, 39-30 Marist. Can definitely see why she is the Preseason POTY.

-Tom Cleary

Fairfield trails 30-22 with 15:38 left in the game

  • Lowenthal, who only played six minutes in the first half after picking up two fouls, starts the second and is fouled down low on a layup. She misses her first free throw, but connects on the second, 26-19 Marist.
  • Marist comes right back as Fitz scores, 28-19 Marist.
  • Fitz is hacked down low by Caskin and goes to the line for two and misses both.
  • Two big offensive rebounds by Groom, but Fairfield can't score despite three possessions.
  • Fitz scores again 30-19 Marist.
  • Wrice goes hard to the hoop and is fouled hard by Viani and goes to the line for tow free throws. Wrice misses the first, but hits the second to cut the deficit back down to ten, 30-20 Marist.
  • Lowenthal keeps battling and strips the ball from Marist after an offensive rebound by the Red Foxes.
  • Wrice drives to the hoop and scores again, falling to the floor. 30-22 Stags.

-Tom Cleary

Half time entertainment

  • Dance team with their usual routine, I was hoping for "All I Want For Christmas Is You"
  • Hutch against Clare in the Stags shootout, somehow they found two students...Clare wins the shirt, maybe Hutch's wig gets in the way.
  • Some girl wins a 20 inch TV...and the Stag tries to steal it. At least the marketing department is doing something, but it obviously didn't affect attendance.

-Tom Cleary
  • Wrice drives and draws a lot of contact, but no foul, her first shot is partially blocked, she gets her own rebound and misses her second.
  • At the half - Marist 26, Fairfield 18.

-Tom Cleary

35.6 Seconds Left First Half- 26-18 Marist

  • Caron hits two free throws for Marist to extend the lead to 10, 24-14.
  • Fitz picks up her second foul and puts Geehan on the line. She misses the first, but connects on the second and Fairfield cuts the lead to 24-15.
  • Strong defense by Fairfield, Marist doens't get the ball up the court until 17 seconds left on the shot clock and a missed shot by Dalhman gives the ball back to the Stags.
  • Baendu Lowenthal has been on the bench for most of the game, not sure why.
  • Meka Werts hits an open shot, 24-18 Marist, Fairfield is crawling back.
  • Caskin with a steal for the Stags.
  • On the other end Flaherty drives the baseline, but steps out of bounds, and turns the ball back over. Fairfield is really missing Lowenthal.
  • Dahlman scores inside 26-18 Marist.
  • Frager calls a timeout.

3:52 First Half - Stags down 22-14 to Marist

  • Dahlman with two free throws out of the media timeout and she nails both. 18-12 Marist.
  • Wrice with an isolation play and she finds an open jumper, but misses short.
  • Flores with a two pointer, 20-12 now. Marist is pulling away, Fairfield needs to start making baskets.
  • Wrice gets wide open inside the three point line and hits the shot, after it bounces off the rim and straight into the air, 20-14 now.
  • Tight defense by the Stags and Marist is forced to in bound the ball with only two seconds on the shot clock and Johnson throws up a bad shot that doesn't hit the rim, resulting in a shot clock violation.
  • The defense has been good for the Stags, but the offense needs help.
  • Hutch is here now, maybe he can bring some energy to what is a dead arena right now.

-Tom Cleary

6:46 - Stags trail Marist, 16-12

  • Nice feed from Stephanie Geehan to Moore under the basket and she is fouled before the shot. The Stags then turn the ball over on a five second call as Caskin can't get it inbounds, haven't seen that called in awhile.
  • Geehan traps the Marist's Meg Dalhman down low and Caskin comes from behind for a block, but the Stags turn the ball over on the other end.
  • Nikki Flores hits a three for Marist to extend the lead to 12-8.
  • Flores hits a long two and the lead is the largest of the game for either team, 14-8.
  • Geehan nearly loses the ball, but steps forward and hits a jumper, 14-10 Marist.
  • Fitz tries to pass the ball to Julianne Viani, but the junior can't get past her defender, Caskin, and the ball bounces of of Viani's head and out of bounds.
  • But the Stags can't do anything as they turn the ball over on the other end.
  • Lindsey Johnson with a two and Marist is back up by six, 16-10.
  • Geehan answers back with a jumper of her own, 16-12, Marist is giving he the mid range jumper and she is taking it and making it.
  • Fairfield has eight turnovers, while forcing four. Not good.

-Tom Cleary

Stags down 9-8

  • Sabra Wrice is on fire to start the game with all seven of Fairfield's points and the Stags lead 7-6 after she knocks down a three pointer.
  • Fairfield is in a 2-3 zone defense against Marist. The Stags are usually man and have been going back and forth.
  • Chris Simmons is wondering whether the student section will storm the floor if Fairfield wins.
  • 6-2 senior Sarah Smdel banks in a three for Marist to take a 9-7 lead.
  • Tara Flaherty cuts the deficit to 9-8 as she connects on one of two free throws after being followed by Preseason MAAC Player of the Year, Rachele Fitz.
  • Werts called for a handcheck while defending on the perimeter, refs are calling a tight game so far this afternoon, and the Stags physical defense is suffering as a result of it, with five fouls called on them already.

Game Log from Alumni Hall: Women's Basketball vs. Marist

After a few problems getting the internet up and running, the Mirror GLOG is underway for the women's game against Marist.

Sadly, another awful turnout by the students of Fairfield U, only about three in the student section along with the band and a scattering of fans throughout the rest of the arena. Hutch Williams isn't even here.

Big game for the Stags, as they look to come back from the crushing loss to St. Peter's friday night and rebound to 1-1 in the MAAC.

With 15:40 left in the half it is 4-2 Marist.

More to come.

-Tom Cleary

Friday, December 7, 2007

Final From the Harbor: Siena 74, Fairfield 61

  • Your Final: Siena 74, Fairfield 61. We'll see ya after Finals for some more Stags' coverage. Be sure to check Mirror Sports Blog as much as possible for the best coverage of your Fairfield Stags.
  • Clock winds down after a Hawkins miss - some Siena alums give a cheer, and the clock ends.
  • Ronald Moore is the lucky guy who gets to pad his stats. He'll make both shots, and Siena is in firm control. 73-61 Siena.

- Keith Connors

71-61 Siena; :47.7 in the 2nd

  • Han fouls quickly to put Siena on the line in an attempt to get the ball back and mount some sort of rally. 71-61 Siena with :47.7 to go.
  • Hawkins hits a three to keep it respectable. 71-61 Siena.
  • Han puts up a quick three - Yorel Hawkins has the ball ripped from him - Alex Franklin out hustles Han to the other end of the floor and lays it in - Jon Han is called for a foul and an "and one" = Rough Stretch for Stags.
  • Nero does all he can to keep it in after some strange bounces and a confusing tip - but the refs get him on a traveling violation. Siena ball with 1:30 to go.
  • Hasbrouck goes to the line and converts two. 69-58 Siena.
  • Anthony Johnson is called for a hold on the floor - and that's the Stags tenth and team limit.
  • Evanovich adds the extra point on the "and one". Stags finally gets a stop on D, as well. Evanovich "monsterizes" from the corner and hits a three. The Stags are one stop away from a full-fledged comeback. 67-58 Siena.
  • They are great, though - in all seriousness. I just kid, girls. For the record, I love dancing. And Christmas. So this is a double whammy.
  • Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Fairfield Dance team breaks out the Mariah Carey another year.

- K.C.

67-54 Siena; 3:20 in the 2nd

  • A no-look pass from Han hits Mike Evanovich, who finally shows up. Evanovich took it the whole way on two steps and hits a floater. AND the foul. Stags need to convert free throws and get a stop, though, to try to mount a comeback. 67-54 Siena.
  • Siena inbounds with 4:00 to play. They're up 15.
  • Pep Band: "Knock on Wood" by Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It's on my iPod.

- K.C.

67-52 Siena; 4:01 in the 2nd


  • Duell does it on both sides - as he takes the charge and, moments later, hits a three in the corner off of a pretty kickout pass from Hasbrouck. Hawkins answers with a three of his own to keep Fairfield's slim hopes alive. 67-52 Siena.
  • Han fakes a pass, goes to drive the lane, and Duell takes the hit. Offensive foul on Han - and his nose may be hurt again. 64-49 Siena.
  • Hawkins draws a call from the men in stripes - and goes to the line for two shots. He'll make them count. 64-49 Siena.
  • Josh Duell - the Saints' awkward big man - misses a three-point shot from the top fo the arc. The Stags have it with 5:45 on the clock.
  • Nero makes one-of-two - and Grzeck fouls Rossiter as the two fight over Nero's miss under the glass. Two very similar looking guys - in a weird, awkward, Napoleon Dynamite- type of way, if you know what I mean. Tom: "They both look like grammar school kids".
  • Nero goes up strong - and draws a foul. He'll go to the line for two shots.
  • Tay Fisher knocks down a pair of shots from the charity stripe. 64-46 Siena.
  • Herbie gets called for a foul on the floor - the Stags' seventh personal foul. Media T.O. with 7:43 to play.
  • With the shot clock at one, Hawkins has to shoot a deep three from near half court. He misses everything - and Siena gets possession.
  • Crowd seems in a daze. Miserable game thus far for Fairfield - any offensive momentum they've generated has led to a Siena stand.

- Keith Connors

62-46 Siena; 8:36 in the 2nd

  • Cooley wants to huddle and mull things over - and calls a timeout.
  • Edney takes a quick, ill-advised three, much to the chagrin of Cooley. On the other side, Josh Duell, a transfer from from Vermont, nails a three. 62-36 Siena.
  • An A.J. block leads to Nero miss, but the ball goes out off of green. Stags retain possession with 9:18 in regulation.
  • Fran "White Magin" McCaffrey is a good coach. Just saying.
  • Ronald Moore gets an open look to the hoop off of two picks. It's just too easy. Siena continues to score after FU baskets. 59-46 Siena.
  • Greg Nero shows some touch and hits the shot in the paint. Under pressure, too. 57-46 Siena.
  • Han forces a long three and comes up empty. Siena ball.
  • Edwin Ubiles knocks down a second-chance trey. Ouch. Rough break for Fairfield - just as they look to be garnering momentum. 57-44 Siena.

- Keith Connors

55-44 Siena; 11:55 in the 2nd

  • Marty throws some 'bows underneath as Kenny Hasbrouck attempts a three. The refs call a foul on the floor. Media T.O.
  • Just as I type that, Siena banks one in off of the glass. 55-44 Siena.
  • Han makes amends by draining a long-range, J.J.-like three. 53-44 Siena.
  • Han gets greedy and tries to block Alex Franklin - and he gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Franklin hits the shot and puts the Saints back up by twelve. 53-41 Siena.
  • Alex Franklin drives the lane and gets a shoulder from Anthony Johnson. Franklin goes to the line for a pair. He connects. 50-41 Siena.
  • 48-41 Siena with 14:16 to play - for those who are keeping score at home.
  • Kenny Hasbrouck does what Siena has done all night - hit a big shot after a FU basket. They've done a fantastic job of ensuring that the Stags do not score multiple baskets in a row - so far we've had no Fairfield runs.
  • Herbie Allen goes to the line - and he'll knock em' dead. 45-39 Siena.
  • Han plays catch with A.J. on in-bound pass. Peanut hits it while in the air. On the other side, Kenny Hasbrouck nets a jumper. 45-37 Siena.
  • Herbie gets more P.T. at Warren Edney's expense. Gotta go with the hot hand.

- K.C.

43-35 Siena; 15:55 in the 2nd

  • Herbie finally goes cold and misses a three, but the Stags show fight and work for a board. It goes off Siena and the Stags retain.
  • Yorel Hawkins looks great in the lane again and gets it go. On the other end, Kenny Hasbrouck does the same. 43-35 Siena.
  • Turnover Siena - as Franklin misses a pass. Luckily for the Saints, the Stags give it right back. Ubiles hits a jumper. Hawkins hits Nero. The game is fast again. I suck at typing. Siena travels in the post. Oh, good Lord. 41-33 Siena. It's over.
  • Yorel Hawkins shows some ability hitting a running jumper in the lane. Nicely done, sir. 39-31 Siena.
  • As if three second chances is not enough, Siena has the audacity of traveling. How dare they. We were ready to give them four! Jeez.
  • The Saints will inbound to start the half, and we are underway. It should be interesting to see if Cooley adjusts to the fast-paced game Siena wants to play.
  • Stat o' the half:

- Keith Connors

Halftime at the Harbor: 39-29 Siena

  • Halftime at the Harbor: with 3.2 seconds left, Herbie Allen hits both shots with ease. A last second Ronald Moore three (which was a much better look than it needed to be), misses long and the buzzer sounds.
  • Siena works it underneath to Franklin - but as they try to get it back out for a give-and-go shot for Hasbrouck, Herbie Allen sneaks in and causes a steal and fast break. He's hacked by Hasbrouck on the other end. Sick hustle from Allen, who is really making the most of his playing time in the first half. He's been the lone bright spot for Fairfield thus far.
  • Herbie's got the hot hand, and Han dishes it to him in the corner and he nails it. So far, he's looked very comfortable in the 2-slot. Siena holds for last shot. 39-29 Siena.
  • Magee goes one-of-two. 39-24 Siena.
  • Cory Magee - on the Saints' third chance - gets Marty in the air and draws a hack. Magee goes to the line for a pair and :56.3 to play in the first.
  • Siena goofs and kicks an errant pass - so the Stags get an unwarranted second chance on offense. Stags' ball.
  • Hasbrouck gets a great look under the boards and hits in easy. 38-24 Siena.'
  • Nero works hard under the boards to create a shot and force a foul. Greg will go to the line for a chance at a pair. He hits one-of-two, and it's a 12-point affair. 36-24 Siena.
  • Han drills a three, and then forces a steal that leads to an easy lay-up. Unfortunately, Kenny Hasbrouck hits a three in front of the ol' ball coach. He may have trash talked Cooely a little after the shot. "Kenny, I like that!" with a clap and nod. 36-23 Siena.
  • A Chritmas Carol - Westport County Playhouse - November 23 to December 29th. "Pure Magic," raves the Mirror's Tom Cleary. "I laughed, I cried, I loved," says Chris Simmons. Go see it!

- Keith Connors

33-18 Siena; 3:46 in the 1st

  • Han misses an alley oop to Edney - but the Saints touch it on the way out. Stags retain possession.
  • Over-the-back is called on Edwin Ubiles with Siena on offense. Stag ball down 15 with 4:26 to go. (Marty O'Sullivan checks in).
  • Evanovich tries to go the whole way, but puts up a brick in the lane (floater shot). Nero misses not longer after following a quick Siena miss.
  • Anthony Johnson corrals a Herbie Allen miss (shot @ the buzzer) and puts it in. On the other size, Edwin Ubiles knocks down a trey - then takes a charge on the other side. This Siena team is impressive. 33-18 Siena.
  • Chris De La Rosa, the backup point guard, gets trapped by FU's half court scheme. Appears to go back court - and no call leads to an eventual Fairfield foul. Evanovich misses later - and then Tay Fisher knocks down a three. Phew - lotta action. 30-16 Siena.
  • Hawkins nails 'em both. 27-16 Siena.
  • A.J. hits Yorel on a post right under the boards. Hawkins goes up and appears to be rejected - but the refs call a soft foul. Yorel Hawkins to the line for two shots.
  • Stags' pep band is amped up. Francis Romano - you are a delight.
  • Dapper Cooley Watch: black blazer was nice, but a 12-0 Siena run does that to ya now and then. Faded pink shirt with a white collar for a retro look. Solid red tie. Anyway you look at it, the end result is there: classy.

- Keith Connors

27-14 Siena; 7:42 in the 1st

  • Anthony Johnson gets on the floor for a loose ball - and the jump ball is called. This time around, it's Stag ball.
  • Herbie Allen knocks down a trey with the shot clock winding down. He had pressure on him, too. Nice play. Siena misses and it's Stags ball. 27-14 Siena.
  • Herbie Allen answers with a three - hoping to get the Stags back no their feet. Unfortunately for him, Clarence Jackson made the trip. He hits a three as I'm typing. 27-11 Siena.
  • Tay Fisher comes off of the bench and drains a three. Wide open look, and Cooley is not amused. 24-8 Siena - as the jacket comes OFF with authority and Clarence Jackson drives in a turnover. 24-8 Siena.
  • FU shows some hustle on an in-bound pass to cause a jump ball. The possession arrow favors Siena, but it's good to see some signs of life.
  • Nero, on a post from the top of the key, hits a cutter. A.J. gets the feed and dunks it with authority. Good look from Nero. 19-8 Siena.
  • Franklin adds the shot - a three-point play the old-fashioned way. Franklin is having a nice start to his evening. 19-6 Siena.
  • Cooley gets a nice break that the media timeout was due right about now. Let's see if Fairfield can get it together here. Otherwise, it's going to be a long night.
  • Siena just played in front of 13,000+ against UAlbany. Now, on a snowy December night in Bridgeport, they play in front of 400. Oh, MAAC basketball.

- K.C.

18-6 Siena; 11:31 in th 1st

  • After a Fairfield miss, Franklin heaves a leaner and gets the shot to go AND the foul. Nice move from Franklin. He'll go to the line for another. 18-6 Siena
  • Han breaks two defenders, Anthony Johnson is lost in the mix, and we get a dunk as the end result. A few seconds later on the other end ot the floor, Alex Franklin takes Peanut to school and lays it in. 16-6 Siena.
  • Looks like Fairfield is not comfortable whatsoever with pressure in their face and a full-court press. I'm guessing they'll see a lot of it tonight - Siena smells blood with Stags' tendency for turnovers.

- K.C.

14-4 Siena; 13:26 in the 1st

  • Ronald Moore gets a give-and-go for three "to go". Ouch. Siena's on a devastating 10-point run. 14-4 as Cooley takes a much-needed timeout
  • Corey Magee, the Saints' tallest starter, shows some range and steps back to hit a three-pointer from the corner. Good shot, and even better look on a kick-out pass. 11-4 Siena.
  • Han called for a travel - and the turnover game begins. Siena ball.
  • Evanovich is called for a shooting foul, as Alex Franklin drove hard on a fast-break. Seems as if Siena is willing to run with Fairfield and push the ball up-court as much as possible. Normally, that's the Stags' MO.
  • Siena continues the full-court pressure - this time, Han takes it all the way down the side of the court to break it.
  • Ubiles is at the line for a pair after a Yorel Hawkins' foul. Ubiles converts both, and Siena is up a pair. 6-4 Siena.
  • Over/under on tonight's attendane in the snowy CT: 400. I'm taking the over, but just barely.
  • Not quite Mavs/Suns. Still, from a Fairfield perspective, a 4-4 start with 15:17 has to be a shot in the arm. Hopefully they can gain a bit of confidence knowing they can play with Siena and are not showing any Yale-Alumni debacle hangover effects.

- K.C.

4-4; 15:17 n the 1st

  • Ubiles gets the ball from Ronald Moore on a fastbreak opportunity. Hawkins fouls him hard, and he'll go to the line for a shot to give Siena the lead.
  • Kenny Hasbrouck grabs a board and takes it the whole way. Nice fake on Anthony Johnson, and an easy floater falls. 4-4.
  • Siena gives it right back, as Hawkins makes amends for the missed pass and gets the ball back.
  • Siena shows a full-court press, and an ill-advises pass for Hawkins almost hits Tommy and goes out of bounds. Saints ball.
  • Rebound and basket off of an Edney miss for Nero. Greg Nero is the key tonight - it's already apparent two minutes in. After a Siena miss from downtown, the Stags control the ball. 4-2 Fairfield.
  • Cooley to Edney: "Warren! You can't do that" in a parent, monotone voice. Naughty, naughty. But the Stags retain possession.
  • A Stags' turnover gives Siena easy fast break points. 2-2.
  • Kenny Hasbrouck, with Edney and a hand in his face, misses the three from the top of the arc. Nice job on defense from Fairfield.
  • Edney misses short on a jumper. Siena pulls down the board.
  • Turnover under the boards trying to get the ball to Magee underneath gives Fairfield the ball. Han pushes, and the Stags are held going up after a Nero miss.
  • Good sign of the night: Hawkins hits both shots, and Fairfield hold an early 2-0 lead. 2-0 Stags. Let's hope they learned their lesson (13-of-26 from the line) from Yale.
  • Han dishes to a cutting Hawkins on the baseline, who drives and is hacked by Alex Franklin. Refs call it a shooting foul and give him two.
  • Fairfield corrals the opening tip, and we are underway from the Harbor.
  • Gettin' Tipsy: Fairfield forward Anthony Johnson battles Siena's 6'6", 197-pound Edwin Ubiles. Magee is the only Siena starter NOT averaging 10+ points or 10+ rebounds per game. But he's huge, so they give him the nod. At least he's in good company.
  • Stags' starters: Edney, Nero, and Anthony Johnson at 3-4-5, respectively. Same forwards as usual. For the backcourt, freshman Yorel Hawkins gets his fifth straight start. He's quickly turning into a Cooley favorite. And, finally, Jon Han at the point.
  • Pre-game Meal: chicken (fingers and wings), fries, and some roll-up thingys. Not too shabby. Tom Cleary and I are treated like kings here at Harbor Yard. And we're much obliged. Although I'm still a bit hungry. And I'm in the mood for steak...
  • The Red Stream: Low turnout tonight for the Fairfield faithful. Dr. Joe Cefoli is here, though. As usual. As for the Stags, they could care less if there was anyone here - they just need a full game of good, fundamentally sound basketball.
  • Stags mascot, though, is here and in full force! He's actually moving for a change, which gets Tom excited for 4 seconds. Glad to see he's back.
- Keith Connors

Hello from the Harbor: Fairfield v. Siena

Hello, and welcome to the Mirror Sports Blog's coverage of Fairfield Men's Basketball! Tonight, the Stags take on the Siena Saints, the preseason favorite to win the MAAC conference. Tonight marks Fairfield's start of the in-conference schedule. This is the ninth straight season that the Stags have opened the MAAC schedule at home.

For Siena, they come in after an emotional win over UAlbany in the "Albany Cup". The Saints are a talented team that boasts plenty of experience and even more depth. In case you were unaware, they took down Stanford University early this season. Enough said.

For Fairfield, head coach Ed Cooley is hopeful that his Stags can bounce back from a tough overtime loss to Yale. Jon Han and the veterans on this team need to step up and provide leadership on the court, as turnovers and sloppy defense has cost Fairfield several games over their recent four-game losing streak.

Stay tuned for tip-off!

- Keith Connors

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Final From Alumni: Yale 70, Fairfield 66

  • Final from Alumni: 70-66, the Stags fall to Yale.
  • Han's half-court heave misses long - and the Stags drop their final three out-of-conference games.
  • Yale G Eric Flato hits the first foul shot to make it a three point. One more, and that's all she wrote. He hits the second to make it a four-point game.

- Keith Connors

68-66 Yale; :4.8 in OT

  • Yale is fouled with :4.8 to play in the O.T. - and they'll be headed to the line.
  • Stags decide to play off after Han's pass for Nero is a turnover. It works, as Yale turns it over, but then Han's up court pass to Yorel Hawkins gets him crossed up and he turns it over. The Stags had numbers, but tried to push it up quick.
  • Flato nails both shots to keep the Bulldogs up by two points. 68-66 Yale.
  • FU tries a half-court trap again, but this time Anthony Johnson gets called for a defensive foul. Flato goes to the charity stripe for a pair.
  • Han lays it in, all the way - no doubt be he was shooting - to tie the game. 66-66 all.
  • Yale turns it over as the Stags half-court trap keeps them from putting it over the line. Devin Johnson was in there just for defense.
  • Nero converts, and now the Stags need a big stop on D. 66-64 Yale.
  • Anthony Johnson gives Nero a FANTASTIC look - and I mean, that A.J. pass set up Greg. Nero does what he's been doing all night - hits the shot and picks up the foul. Huge play to keep the Stags hope alive. Nero goes to the line to pull it to two points.
  • Ross Morin does a great job of getting the defense up in the air and lays it in. 66-61 Yale.
  • Hawkins does it again - and the second shot bounces short. 64-61 Yale with 2:0 to play.
  • Hawkins first shot hits every part of the rim, then falls out. He's got another coming.

- Keith Connors

64-61 Yale; 2:16 in OT

  • Quick stoppage before the free throws.
  • Stags ball off of a pair of Zampier misses. Han hits a cutting Yorel Hawkins - and Yale gets called for a block. Their bench hates it, our bench is feeling the love.
  • A.J. hits one-of-two - and the Stags are down by three. 64-61 Yale.
  • Matt Kyle gets called on the floor for a defensive hold - so Peanut Johnson goes to the line for two shots. Not exactly a bad thing for Yale.
  • BIG stop for the Stags.
  • Ross Morin takes a charge from Jon Han - and Yale is sittin' pretty so far in O.T. A basket here would pretty much seal momentum change.
  • Alex Zampier hits a pretty reverse lay-in that fools three defenders - and then Han turns it over on nice defense from Eric Flato at halfcourt and, very quickly, the Stags are down four in the overtime period. 64-60 Yale.
  • Anthony Johnson wins the tip, and Han corrals the loose ball so the Stags start with it. Errant pass, though, gets picked off an its Yale ball.
  • There must be something about this building: Last season's home opener against America - Coach Cooley's first game - was a double OT loss. Later in the season, the Stags downed St. Francis in overtime. Alumni Hall - at it's finest.

- Keith Connors

60-60 Tie; End of Regulation

  • We're headed to O.T.
  • Evanovich grabs the in-bound pass from Nero, and tries to pull a Reggie Miller-like three from on the baseline. No such luck, though, as it hits the side and then the clock expires.
  • Nero heaves a desperation three, but falls short. Yale pulls down the board but steps out of bounds.
  • After a mad dash to grab the in-bound from Han, the Bulldogs jump all over him and knock the ball out of bounds. Still Stags ball - but now only 7.7 to work with.
  • First in-bound attempt: not so much. The clock never started. We'll do it again.

- Keith Connors

60-60; :9.2 in the 2nd

  • Han sprint up court, and the Stags have one last shot to win it in regulation with :9.2 to play. That second Warren Edney free throw looms large right now.
  • Caleb Holmes drills a three from NBA-range to tie it up! What shot for Yale. Seems as if the Stags were waiting for a play to develop - and the play never came. Give credit to Holmes for hitting a big-time shot.
  • Yale will in-bound at mid-court after calling a 30-second timeout to think things over. Let's see what they draw up. :23.2 remaining in regulation.

- Keith Connors

60-57 Stags; :23.2 in the 2nd

  • Warren Edney converts a big one and puts Fairfield back up by three. 60-57 with :23.2 to play. Big time shots right there in front of the loyal Red Sea.
  • Edney hits the first shot - the more important of the two. This one's just gravy.
  • Yale - with a 3 second shot clock differential - lets FU play for a little bit after the in-bound. However, they change suit and foul Edney quickly once Han gives up the ball. Looks like they were just looking for the right guy to foul.
  • Eric Flato hits a quick two that was nearly a three. Nice shot, either way. 58-57 Stags with :39 on the clock.
  • Nero hits both shots to make it a three-point lead. 58-55 Stags.
  • Ross Morin fouls Nero on a pick - and Nero goes to the line to make this game a near done deal for the men in red.
  • Hawkins misses a driving leaner, but Nero grabs the o-board and the Stags retain again. That's the kind of stuff that drives coaches nuts if you're Yale.

- Keith Connors

56-55 Stags; 1:29 in the 2nd

  • Cooley takes a timeout to set things up - they've got a one-point lead, 1:29 on the clock and 20 seconds to shoot
  • Edney misses a three from the corner, but Evanovich grinds out a rebound and the Stags set it back up with 1:45o on the floor.
  • Morin hits both shots - clutch shots, as well - and the Stags are now only up by one. 56-55 Stags.
  • Morin backs down Marty on the other end. Marty tries for a flop, but the ref will have none of it and calls him for a foul. Morin to the line for a pair.

- Keith Connors

56-53 Stags; 2:36 in the 2nd

  • Marty misses an open three, the ball rolls out of bounds, no fouls are called, and we have a media timeout. Wa-wa-we-wow.
  • Marty gets a feed down-low and appears to have it, but the ball rolls every which way and finally falls out. Rough break.
  • Caleb Holmes hits a lay-up AND the foul. Yale continues to just hang around - as the Stags have shown some signs of going on a big run, but can't seem to put the Blueshirts away. 56-53 Stags.
  • Edney gets a pair. 56-50 Stags.
  • Aloysius P. Kelly in the house! Gotta love it. APK is a big fan of "The Mirror" - so I'm told.
  • Warren Edney cuts hard for a drive - but Yale meets them with two defenders. They thought they had a jump ball, but the refs thought otherwise. Edney goes to the line for a pair of freebies.
  • Matt Kyle goes to the line and hits a pair. 54-50 Stags.
  • Greg Nero gets called on a shooting foul in the pain. He tries to pull a "David Justice, check swing" routing by keeping his hands straight up - but the ref has made up his mind.

- Keith Connors

54-48 Stags; 5:19 in the 2nd

  • Yale timeout - and with 5:19 to play, it's 54-48 Stags.
  • Han drives and, at the last minutes, sees a streaking Anthony Johnson who lays it in with authority. Stags are starting to show signs of going on a little tear. Just a little.
  • Han throws it up for Warren Edney - who does a sick job of adjusting to the errant pass and laying it in. It was supposed to be an oop, but, hey - two points it two points. 52-48 Stags.
  • Braswell heaves a desperation shot, and they somehow call Han for a shooting foul. Not sure if there was any contact at all, even with the ball. Anywho, Braswell misses the free throw on the "one and one".
  • Braswell and Fiddler are trying to trap Han, but they get a little too physical for the refs liking and gets the whistle treatment. Han goes to the line for the one-and-one, but misses a shot to extend FU's lead. Yale ball.
  • Morin misses, Nero grabs the board, and Fairfield is in business.
  • With 7:27 to play, Herbie Allen gets called for a hold on the floor. That's the Stags' seventh foul - so Yale heads to the line. Ross Morin will go the free throw line.
  • Media timeout, ladies and gentleman. You're welcome.
  • Porter Braswell runs side-by-side with Herbie, but beats him to the bucket down the side of the court and lays it in. 50-48 Stags.

- Keith Connors

50-46; 8:12 in the 2nd

  • "Yale takes a T.O., baby! Are you serious?!?" - Dick Vitale
  • Nero gets an open look for a three and drills it. I doubt Yale thought he had that kind of range. Well, they thought wrong. 50-46 Stags.
  • Ross Morin keeps the Bulldogs on pace with a pretty shot. 47-46 Stags.
  • Stags corral a Yale miss, and then Marty O'Sullivan works hard underneath on Morin and gets the shot to go. Awkward looking shot and an even more awkward angle - but it somehow goes. 47-44 FU.
  • The ref calls three-seconds on Marty - probably one of the only times I've seen that called in a Fairfield game. Seriously.
  • Zampier whiffs, but the Bulldogs make it a one-point affair. 45-44 Stags.
  • Alex Zampier drives off of a pump-fake. The basket goes and Han fouls him - giving Zampier a chance for the old-fashioned three-point play.
  • Warren Edney converts one of the two from the charity stripe to put the Stags up three points. 45-42 Stags.
  • Edney gets fouled as he shoots and he'll head to the line. Edney will be shooting two.
  • Yale continues to hand around - as Caleb Holmes drills a three-point basket. Pretty shot from Caleb. 44-42 Stags.

- Keith Connors

44-39 Stags; 11:37 in the 2nd

  • Garret Fiddler hits a high-percetage hook by the baseline - and then the Stags get called on an offensive foul in the lane. Sensing that it's starting to slip away a little, Cooley calls for a timeout.
  • Nero works hard as anything - misses his initial shot but follows it up with a conversion "and one". 44-37 FU.
  • Ross Morin hits a jumper in the paint following a foul on the floor from Yorel Hawkins. 42-37 Stags.
  • Han pushes the rebound and hits Nero, who lays it in easily. 42-35 Stags.
  • Yorel Hawkins gets a wide-open look. He lines hit shot, sets his feet, NO ONE comes out to get him, and he makes them pay. He buries the three and increases the lead to five. 40-35 Stags.
  • Pep band, crowd, Coach Cooley - they're all into it. Can Fairfield go on a run? Let's find out.

- Keith Connors

37-35 Stags; 13:57 in the 2nd

  • Yale takes a timeout smelling a Fairfield run. "Ole!" from the crow.d 13:57 to play and it's 37-35 Stags
  • Yorel Hawkins gets a jumper in the lane, and Fairfield retakes the lead. Pretty shot. Moments later, with Alumni Hall going nuts, Flato travels.
  • On the other end, the Bulldogs get called on another offensive. This time, it's Eric Flato (starting point guard) and that's his fourth. Uh oh.
  • Really athletic play from Warren Edney - and Cooley is amped up. The crowd gets into it as Edney thanks Han for the pass. 35-35 all.
  • Nick Holmes fakes A.J. out of his shoes with a pump-fake, but then Nero falls and FU gets the offensive foul call. Great awareness by the defense - certainly one of Fairfield's strengths as a group.
  • Happy Hannukah to everyone out there!
  • Dapper Cooley Watch: White shirt tonight, but he adds a sweet gold tie with stripes. I think it screams, "Hey, I'm formal - but I like to party". Classy.

- Keith Connors

35-33 Yale; 15:32 in the 2nd

  • Han kicks it out to Edney after a screen from the top of the key, but Edney whiffs again. On the other end, Yale pushes but gets called for an "over the back" on the ensuing rebound. MEDIA timeout.
  • Han feels it as he pulls up and hits the three. Great kick-out from Nero. 35-33 Yale - and then it was two.
  • A.J. gets hacked as he cuts the lane and got a pass from Nero. The refs say it was ont the floor - so they Stags retain possession.
  • Ross Morin beats Middleton to the hoop after he pulls him out. Nice "Iso" play from Yale - they clearly matched the two up. 35-30 Yale.
  • After a pair of misses and attempted put-back, Greg Nero says "ENOUGH!" He pulls down the board and puts it in. 33-30 Yale.
  • Ross Morin hits a paint turnaround. 33-28 Yale.
  • Greg Nero fakes a shot, then drives the lane. He hits the lay-in, and the Stags pull to within three. 31-28 Yale.
  • We have a Geoff Middleton sighting! Forget Marty, there's you "Blue Moon" award of the night.
  • And we're back: To start off the half, the Stags will inbound to Han to kick us off.
  • Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis get shipped over to the Detroit Tigers. What a move for Dave Dombrowski.
  • Stags Crew team dedicates their boat at halftime. WOW. Those boats are friggin' huge. It's always nice to see a team that you don't hear much from get some coverage. If only the paper could write more on them...
  • The Stags did not score from 6:41 until 2:49. Two points in the final six minutes of the half. That's your recap in a nutshell.
  • Stat O' The Half: Warren Edney leads Fairfield with 6 points in the half - but he w3as 2-7 shooting and 1-5 from behind the arc. Not all that efficient if you ask me - and I'm not even an Economy major. Let's see if he can shoot better in the 2nd half. The Stags will most definitely need their frosh to step up when MAAC play rolls around.

- Keith Connors

Halftime at the Hall: 31-26 Yale

  • Halftime at the Hall: Yale 31, Fairfield 26
  • Matt Kyle hits a jumper at the buzzer - and Yale increases the lead to four. Edney has a word with one of the officials at the end of the half and says he was being held.
  • Answer: Speed. The movie quote, that is.
    Not quites as Mr. Cooley drew it up - as Evanovich gets called on a questionable offensive foul as he was moving off-ball. Yale bal..
  • Cooley draws up a play. Reminds me of a great movie: "Watcha gonna do, Jack? Watcha gonna do?" Any guesses?

- Keith Connors

29-26 Yale; :16.4 in the 1st

  • Stags take a 30-second timeout as they rush up-court.
  • Josh Davis misses a turnaround jumper off of a post on A.J., and the loose ball goes out. The refs give it to Yale, and Matt Kyle whiffs an easy lay-in off of the inbound. Phew.
  • Edney pulls the trigger fast, and misses on a three. Yale grabs the board.
  • Anthony Johnson shows why he's such a tease - he corrals a great pass and then hits a pretty baby hook in the lane to go. 29-26 Stags.
  • My agent, Ari, hits one-of-two. Alright, that's enough. 29-24 Bulldogs.
  • Herbie gets called for a hold - and that's the team limit 10 fouls for the Stags. Cooley knows it was a good call and isn't happy. Greenberg goes to the line.
  • Yale turns it over, Herbie crosses over a guy, but the ball still goes out right back the other way. As the book says, "Much ado about nothing".
  • Errant, cross zone pass from Han to Grzeck goes out of bounnds. Stags are getting a little shoppy. Yale Ball.
  • Herbie Allen gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar, as Caleb Holmes goes back to the line for a pair. He hits both, and gives Yale its biggest lead of the night at four. 28-24 Yale with 2:40 to go.
  • Ref reverses a call - and gives the ball back to Yale on a "tip out". The Red Sea reaction: "Where's your hair". Very classy, Fairfield.
  • Caleb Holmes banks in his free throw - as the guy behind me yells, "HEY! You gotta call those!" Eh, whatever counts. Second is a miss. FU ball. 26-24 Yale.
  • Back to the drawing board for FU - as Yale decides to take a few moments for a breather on the sidelines. Media T.O. with 3:53 to play and the Dogs up one.
  • Grzeck gets called for a hack on a reach-in.
  • Han misses a long three off of a miss from Grzeck. Yale grabs the board.
  • Garret Fiddler gets the lay-in off of a miss, and then gets fouled by Han. "And one" for Yale, who now holds its first lead of the night. 25-24 Stags.

- Keith Connors

24-23 Stags; 4:49 in the 1st

  • Yale gets trapped, and they take a "T".
  • Peanut Johnson throws up a pair of bricks - and the Shaq disease continues to show on Fairfield's free throws. 24-23 Stags with 4:49 to go.
  • Another Yale foul - this time on the defensive side of the floor. A.J. goes to the line.
  • Alex Zampier hits a pretty fade-away right in Han's face. Nothing more he could do about that - the Bulldogs pull it to one. 24-23 Stags with 5:30 to play.
  • Miss from the "Entourage star". Evanovich gets hacked not long after after the Stags push the ball up-court fast.
  • Anthony Johnson gets the initial block on Ari Greenberg - but Yorel Hawkins shows his rookie stripes with a hard foul. 23-21 Stags - and Ari goes to the line.
  • Anthony Johnson makes us all feel much better with an emphatic dunk after a pretty feed from Evanovich. Credit Mike for that one - it was a great look on a good cut. 23-19 Stags.
  • Peanut misses an oop. Moments later, Alex Zampier drills a three. Don't get greedy now, boys. 21-19 Stags.
  • Evanovich puts a nice move on Matt Kyle. He misses the soht, but the Stags fight for the board and A.J. throws the ball off of a Yale defender as he's falling out-of-bounds. Sweet deal. Stags ball.
  • 21-16 with 7:55 to play - Stags ball off the media timeout.
  • Special Scout-out to Jack Jones - our favorite S.I.D. man. We hear he's a fan of the blog. Well, then again, who's not? But thanks again for all your support.

- Keith Connors

21-16 FU; 7:55 in the 1st

  • After Evanovich checks back in, Flato walks thanks to tight D from Han. Great work.
  • Nero shows us why he's was a MAAC Rookie last season. Nero goes up strong, gets mangled in the process, but hangs in there and finishes. And he gets the "and one" with the added free throw. Great sequence. 21-16 FU.
  • Matt Kyle dunks. Oh, boy. Two point contest here on campus. 18-16 FU.
  • Ill-advises shot from Hawkins. Nero goes over the back - crowd hates it, but the ref made the right call. Let's call that a mulligan on offense.
  • And we're baaaack. Yorel is still on the line, attempting to add to the early Stag lead. He misses long, but the battle for the board goes out. White ball.
  • Yorel hits th first shot to put the Stags up four. At least, that's what we think. A little scoreboard malfunction. Gotta remember folks, all we've had here for the past decade is volleyball and O.A.R.
  • Just as I type that, Han misses a "one and one", but then Nero pulls the board and it eventually ends up with a foul on Yorel Hawkins.
  • With Han on a backdoor cut, Han gets called for a hold. You can see FU's game plan with this team: make them run, push the tempo. So far, they've gone that - but haven't converted on offense.
  • Nice D from Evanovich, and Yale coughs up the ball with 9:20 to play in the first.
  • Marty gets called for a reach. He and Cooley thought it was a push off. Actually, to be grammatically correct, it'd be Cooley and he. My apologizes. 4 fouls on FU, and the Bulldogs keep the ball.
  • Pair of missed threes (Evanovich for Fairfield, Eric Flato for Yale), leads to a Marty offensive foul on a hard pick. Ouch. Yale ball.
  • Edney misses short on a three, and the ball bounces out in favor of the Blueshirts. Yale ball.
  • The stands are filling in nicely - as Tom and I predicted. That gives new meaning to the term "Pre-game".
  • "Hey, fans: don't forget to grab some popcorn. Indiana Kettle-corn at the concession stand. The official popcorn of University of Fairfield Athletics!" Huh?

- Keith Connors

17-14 FU; 10:57 in the 1st

  • FU ball, media times.
  • Marty O'Sullivan gets the prestigious award for the "Blue Moon" moment of the night - he hit a three. Yale answers right back. 17-14 FU.
  • Another offensive foul on a pick and Yale has got to be kidding. Alex Zampier makes amends by driving home a steal from a lay-in. 14-11 FU.
  • Marty gets to the f-line on a foul. After he air balls the first, he misses ugly on the second. Somewhere in Miami, Shaq is smiling proud.
  • Travis Pinick makes a nice, athletic play for a tip-in off of a Morin miss. 14-9 FU.
  • Nick Holmes misses a three - the Bulldogs are getting a little too trigger-happy with the three ball early on. Evanovich gets the board and push it, but Nero gets called on an offensive foul on a questionable call.
  • Morion miss, Hawkins rebound, quick push, Nero miss, Nero rebound, Nero make. Me like. 14-7 FU
  • Herbie Allen hears the women's team counting down for him, and drains a deep, J.J.-like three from the top of the arc. Nicely done, sir. 12-7 FU
  • 00 Ross Morin (I hate #00 - reminds me of UNC (Brandon Haywood, for those of you at home unfamiliar with ACC b-ball) way too much) gets called on another offensive foul. Third Yale turnover on offense because of a foul .
  • After a dominant 9-2 start sparked by freshmen Warren Edney and Yorel Hawkins, Yale has gone on a 5-0 run. Oh, boy. Heads up for Cooley's jacket.

- Keith Connors

9-7 Stags; 14:55 in the 1st

  • Media break - cause I'm tired already.
  • Wide-open lay-in for Caleb Holmes.... oh, wait. Jon Han sprint down the court, and knocks the ball out of bounds. They always say on the courts back home, "No easy buckets." Han just proved it.
  • Ross Moiron shows some poise in the post and puts up a great shot on Peanut.
  • Alex Zampier, with Han in his face and the shot clock at 3, buries a three from the top of the arc. Sweet shot, sweeter look, sweetest uniforms for Yale. 9-5 Stags.
  • After back-to-back misses from both sides, Nero gets the ball down low and misses. Stags show some effort and go afte rthe board - but it gets knocked out of bounds. Yale ball.
  • Yorel Hawkins buries a three-pointer on a great kick-out. Nothin' but net. 9-2 Stags.
  • Ross Morin hits a pretty, throwback hook shot. Keith Connors.. I mean, Hakeem Olajuwon style. Sweet. 6-2 FU.
  • Half-court trap from the Stags - with Peanut Johnson in the frontcourt putting the pressure. Looks as if they want to push the tempo against a Yale team that does not look as athletic.
  • Edney sinks the shot. 6-0 FU.
  • Edney gets a lay-in role, with the "and one". Matt Kyle gets called on the foul for the Blushirts. Edney to the line for the three-point play.
  • Bulldogs put on a full court press.
  • "This is our house!" chant as the Stags get Yale to turn it over again with an offensive foul.
  • With the shot clock ticking down, Stags' forward Warren Edney shows some range by nailing a three a few steps behind the line. Noice (that's Cali talk for 'nice'). 3-0 Stags.
  • Yale gets the tip on a loose ball off FU that goes out, but Yale gives it right back with an offensive foul in the pain.
  • Just in time for tip, my laptop gets service and the game is underway. Relatively small Red Sea for an Alumni Hall game, but it's starting to fill in nicely.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Fairfield Almost Shocks Georgetown

After watching the way that the men's basketball team played against St. Francis (NY) on Wednesday night, it was difficult to expect anything but a blow-out against Georgetown.

The Stags came out and shocked everyone by playing with the Hoyas for 38 minutes of the game, nearly upsetting the No. 5 team in the nation. In the end, Fairfield fell 61-49, but the score did not reflect the true nature of the game. A 7-0 run in the final two minutes stretched the score and sealed the game for the Hoyas.

Fairfield was led by junior point guard Jonathan Han, who scored 17 points and freshman Yorel Hawkins, who had 11. The Stags were held to just 16 points in the second half, after scoring 33 in the first half, matching the 33 points by Georgetown.

Quotes and Notes:

  • Fairfield Head Coach Ed Cooley: "For 38 minutes, that was the best we've played all year. We shared the basketball, we limited our turnovers, we tried to limit possessions by Georgetown...we wanted to shorten the game up a little bit. We knew we had to shoot a high percentage in order to steal a win on the road against, in what I think, is the best team in the country."
  • Georgetown Sophomore Guard Jeremiah Rivers on defending Jonathan Han: "You could tell after a while it looked like he wanted to get the ball out of his hands a little, I felt. But, he's a great point guard, so I didn't see too much frustration in him. He was obviously trying to get the ball to the other guards...I was just trying to do my best staying in front of him, cause some havoc for him. I was trying to just cause some problems for their offense, not necessarily just him."

  • Fairfield played out with senior forward Mamadou Diakhate, who stayed back in Fairfield with a concussion.
  • Senior Marty O'Sullivan made his first start of the season and was effective all game guarding 7'1 center Roy Hibbert. O'Sullivan is an excellent on ball defender against a true center like Hibbert.
  • Sophomore Anthony Johnson was obviously frustrated by the size of the Hoyas frontcourt as he was 0-for-8 from the floor and had just four rebounds.
  • Fairfield had just three turnovers and shot 8-for-19 from three (Han had 2 turnovers and was 4-for-6 from behind the arc). Turnovers and poor shooting cost the Stags the game against St. Francis, but nearly won them the game against a much better Georgetown team. If Fairfield can protect the ball and hit shots like they did against Georgetown in MAAC play, they will be a tough team to beat every time out.
-Tom Cleary

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Villanova 51, Fairfield 45

The women's basketball team dropped their first game of the season Wednesday losing to Villanova on the road. The loss drops the Stags' record to 5-1 overall while improves the Wildcats to 5-1 as well.

It was a tough night offensively for the Stags as they shot only 37.7 percent from the floor and only 14.3 percent from beyond the arc. They also committed 16 turnovers while only forcing eight.

Baendu Lowenthal '09 was Fairfield's leading scorer with 14 points. However, she was only seven of 18 from the floor. Sabra Wrice '08, the Stags' leading scorer, had only seven points on three of 14 shooting and was only one of eight from beyond thee arc.

Megan Caskin '09 played all 40 minutes and despite not scoring any points, picked up six assists to one turnover along with six rebounds.

The Stags lost despite out rebounding Villanova 41-30 and limiting the Wildcats to only 27 percent three-point shooting.

The game was close throughout and Fairfield help a one point advantage early in the first second half, but when Villanova pulled ahead, the Stags could not catch up.

-Chris Simmons

Villanova 21, Fairfield 20 Halftime

The women's team has kept the score close despite turning the ball over eight times compared to Villanova's three.

- The Stags have out shot the Wildcats 39.1% to 29.6%
- The Stags have out rebounded the Wildcats 19 to 15
- Baendu Lowenthal '09 has paced Fairfield with six points along with four rebounds.
- Sabra Wrice '08 has scored five points.

-Chris Simmons

Sunday, November 18, 2007

79-73 Stags; 44.1 in the 2nd

  • Ryon Howard fakes a three, and drives it with no pressure for an easy two. FU will take that in a heartbeat. Stags ball, and SHU calls a T.O. to talk things over.
  • Nero goes one-for-two, and the Stags maintain that lead. The y ned a stop on D to ice the game.
  • Nero goes to the line - not a great sight if you're wearing red right now.
  • Nero gets the ball in low and his hacked hard as he tries to put it in. A little surprising that the didn't foul right away when Han was trying to run the clock out. The coaches were screaming for backcourt pressure and got nothing.
  • Stags ball with an in-bound from deep in their own territory. SHU puts on a full court press, but the Stags do a textbook job of breaking it. Here's a shot to ice the game.

- K.C.

78-71 Stags; 1:56 in the 2nd

  • Hardy misses a three, but Ryon Howard works hard underneath and gets a tip-in. They certainly are not giving up just yet. 1:56 to play
  • 78-69 FU after Han hits both from the line. 2:00 to play.
  • Shubik gets a little greedy and reaches on Han. The guard heads to the line with a shot to keep the game going the favor of North Benson Rd.
  • Sahan grabs a miss and adds it to the line. "A.J.! Rebound!" yells Cooley. 76-69 FU.
  • Can SHU respond? Odds are they'll look to their outside sharpshooters for a spark. And Big Red, who's right in front of me and not giving up yet.

- K.C.

76-67 FU;2:47 in the 2nd

  • 2:47 to play, and the Stags lead it, 76-67
  • Nero gets a sick pass from Han, and he had no chance of missing. Brooks got greedy and tried to hit him, but it was going in anyway. Nero gets the "and one" and converts with ease - leading to a SHU timeout.
  • Loose ball off of a Hardy miss goes off of a foot. The refs talk it over and give it to the Stags. FU ball.
  • Han goes to the line with a shot at two. He hits both to put FU back in control by six. 73-67 Stags.
  • Foul gets called on the floor on Mehmet Sahan, who looks confused as to the foul and the language in which the ref is speaking. Hmm.
  • Brice Brooks drains a three to pull the Pioneers within four. 71-67 FU.
  • SHU in-bounds on their end with about 4:00 to play. Let's se ewhat goes down.
  • And the dance team is done. Finally. No, they're great. I swear.

- Keith Connors

71-65 FU; 3:56 in the 2nd

  • Dance team is up, 3:56 to play
  • Ryon Howard goes up strong, but his shot in met by Anthony Johnson's fat hand. Ouch. The ball flies out of bounds and the Stags get a cheer from the crowd.
  • Howard adds the freebie, and it's a six-point game. 71-65 FU.
  • Ryon Howard makes amends by grabbing his own miss and putting it in with the foul. Here's his chance to keep making this a tight one.
  • After a hold gets called on Ryon Howard, Han goes to the line as Sacred Heart is over the limit. Han hits both of them and puts the Stags up nine. 71-62 FU.
  • After two Anthony Johnson easy misses, SHU turns it over and gives Jon Han a textbook drive and lay-in on the other end. He went baseline to baseline. 69-62 Stags.
  • Chauncey Hardy misses an NBA-range desperation three at the buzzer. Whammy.
  • The scene: with Sacred Heart rallying, the Stags need to show some poise and get a much needed defensive stop. 5:30 to play, and Fairfield holds a 67-62 lead. Hold on to your butts.
  • The Big Red just bagged a Stag. Whatever that means.

- Keith Connors

67-62 FU; 5:46 in the 2nd

  • SHU timeout to get the troops rallied.
  • FU ball. Somehow. It happened way to fast - I swear.
  • Mamadou misses in a rare event. Yorel grabs the board, but the Stags turn it over anyway.
  • FU gets the ball back, and the Pioneers are one away from a one-and-one if they keep fouling.
  • Chauncey Hardy nails a great look after an Anthony Johnson miss. 67-62 FU.

- Keith Connors

67-60 FU; 7:28 in the 2nd

  • SHU offensive foul on the other end, and Fairfield is now in the one-and-one. This could potentially hinder that Pioneer comeback. We'll go back down to the other end.
  • Just when we agreed, Warren Edney drains a three at the buzzer in front of the White Sea and the crowd goes wild. Holy cow. 67-60 FU.
  • "Oh my God, it's louder than I've ever heard in here," - Tom Cleary.
  • Mehmet makes a shot over Mamadou - who would've thought that would happen. SHU pulls within four. 64-60 FU.
  • Shubik adds the free throw for the three-point play. 64-58 FU.
  • Just when it looks like Fairfield is going to pull away, Drew Shubik drives the lane, makes the shot AND the foul. With their outside shooting so streaky, you never know when a "Big Red" big drive is coming. We'll see.
  • Han heaves a pass to Edney - who was not even remotely close to paying attention. Luckily, the ball caught him, and the Stags take it down. FU ball.
  • Han grabs both freebies, and the Stags keep it coming. 64-53 FU.
  • Han cuts hard with the left, drives the lane, and its fouled by Ryon Howard on the way. Han goes to the charity stripe for a shot at two more.
  • Anthony Johnson misses a dunk and whiffs. Luckily, they get the ball back. It's okay. We're gonna pick it up.
  • Three for Ryon Howard and the Pioneers just won't go away. 62-53 Fairfield.
  • Twelve-point lead for Fairfield right now with 11:30 to play. That's their biggest lead of the night. Can it hold? No clue.

- Keith Connors

62-50 FU; 11:36 in the 2nd

  • Media T.O.: 11:36 with the Stags up 62-50
  • Chauncey Hardy, a great player and a competitor from the looks of things, gets a shot with Han in his face. To respond, Han takes him to the hoop and drives. The lay-in goes in and the Stags get another quick one.
  • Edney almost hits a dunk, and Anthony Johnson tumbles over the stands and gets back up and yells. Much to the delight on the White Sea. Wow.
  • Mamadou tries to guard Shubik as he drives, and he gets called for a block. Looks like Cooley is having Mamadou as his shadow all night - he's known for his pesky, in-your-face D. So far, not a whole lot out of Shubik tonight.
  • The 'Dou hits both shots and keeps the Stags express rollin' along. OK, that was pushing it. 60-48 Stags.
  • Hardy passes the ball away, and the Stags breakaway with Mamadou on the other end. He's fouled hard as he goes in for the dunk. They had to. Diakhate goes to the line.
  • After an SHU three to answer, Warren Edney wants to get in on all the fun. And that he does. Edney gets the first trey of his Stag career and puts Fairfield up ten points. Nice. 58-48 FU.
  • Mamadou gets a cross perimeter pass, and drains a wide-open three. He's NEVER missed a three. Granted, he's had three shots. 55-45 FU.
  • On the other end, Chauncey Hardey gets a leaner and keeps the Pioneers close. 55-45
  • Peanut dunk. On the putback. Thanks.
  • Potter misses a mid-range jumper, and the Stags push. Unfortunately, they push it out of bounds and almost hit me. That's three times in this game
  • Attendence: 5,018. Holy moly. And, for once, it actually looks about right and sounds right too. Can we play them every game?
  • Mamadou and Evanovich backs in. Big fan favorites.
  • Potter goes up strong, and is met by Nero. While it was fun while it lasted, the refs get involved and call a hack on Gregger. Potter to the line to shoot a pair.
  • SHU ball to start off of the media timeout.

- Keith Connors

50-41 Stags; 15:57 in the 2nd

  • Hawkins gets caught with his hand in the ol' cookie jar, and the refs call an over the back. 50-41 FU with 15:57 to play.
  • Han gets the "home run" look downcourt on the in-bound pass and gets it to go. Nice lay-up from the Brooklyn native. 50-41 Stags.
  • Nero shows some sick range by burying a wide-open three. That's a reason why that guy was preseason All-MAAC. SHU gets it back with a lay-in, and then the Stags are called for an offensive foul on the in-bound.
  • Liam Potter's balls goes every which way, then finally falls. Then, Jon Han goes coast to coast and hits the fade away jumper off the glass. 45-39 FU.
  • Yorel misses one, but makes up for it by hitting one. One outta two ain't bad. 43-37 FU.
  • Another SHU turnover leads to an Anthony Johnson miss hook in the lane/Yorel Hawkins attempt at a put-back. He gets hacked in the process and goes to the line. Yorel. Shooting two. Number 4. Sorry, enough Bob Sheppard.
  • Anthony tries to go up fstrong against Brooks but is turned away. The Pioneers miss a chance for transition point and turn it over. Moments later, Nero gets called for an offensive. Cooley to Nero "Wake up".
  • Brice Brooks gets A.J. in an uncomfortable spot and lays it in. 42-37 Stags.
  • Han got greedy and tried to inbound an alley-oop to Anthony Johnson. SHU got greedy and turned it over. So it goes.
  • Stat o' the Half: Corey Hassan was 3-5 from downtown. The Pioneers in total were 5-11, which isn't a terrible ratio. The Stags, by comparison, were 3-10 on pretty good looks. It may come down to which team does better in the second half at perimeter shooting.

- Keith Connors

Halftime @ Harbor Yard: FU 42, SHU 35

  • Halftime at the Harbor: 42-35 Fairfield after Shubik hits both, and keeps the game tight. FU tries for a last second shot, but the buzzer beats them to it. Nice resiliency from the Stags in the half, though. They were down by as much as 14 at one point, and now they hold an improbable seven-point advantage. Wow. We'll see what team comes out after the break: the SHU team that shot the lights out to start, or the Fairfield team that controlled both end of the floor in the second half of the game. Time will tell.
  • Grzeck sighting! Oh, my!
  • Drew Shubik tries to drive, and as he's doubled makes contact with Nero. The refs call Nero on the hold. Shubik goes to the line for a pair.
  • Nero now has a shot to extend the lead even further with the "and on". He misses it, and it's Pioneers ball with 26 seconds on the clock.
  • Down the other end, Nero grabs a miss from Allen and puts it up AND the foul. Nero is just taking over the game right now. What a job. 42-33 SHU.
  • SHU misses again, and the Stags push it. Nero's on the other end and adds the lay-in with ease of f the glass. Chauncey Hardey whiffs on a great shot.
  • Nero gets a great feed, and makes an even better move to put it in in the paint. 38-33 FU.
  • SHU turns the ball over with the shot clock winding down, and Cooley is amped up. FU ball, and they look like they're back in sync. Let's see how the Pioneers respond. Big Red Pioneer doesn't like it, I'll tell you that much.
  • In the one-and-one situation, Mamadou only gets one, but A.J. grabs the board and puts it in to get the job done the hard way. Eh, they'll take it. Who wouldn't? 36-33 FU.
  • A.J. kicks it underneath to Mamadou, who was hiding in transition under the baseline, and is fouled. He'll head to the line for a chance at a pair.
  • Pretty move from Brice Brooks on an inside turnaround keeps the Pioneers on pace. 33-33.
  • Herbie is held from behind, and heads to the line with a chance to give the Stags for their first lead. With the White Sea at his back, Herbie Allen gets both and the Stags are up two. 33-31 FU.
  • FU is looking more cohesive on offense, but can they silence the Pioneers' outside shooting. Specifically, Corey Hassan, who is having a career night. We'll see.
  • My fantasy team is up ten. He has two more guys tomorrow, but I have Maroney and Watson tonight on the Pats. We'll see what goes down.

- Keith Connors

31-31; 3:59 in the 1st

  • Herbie picks the pockey of Corey Hassan - who's finally been bottled up lately. As Herbie drives he is held from behind, and the Pioneers are called for the foul. Oh, boy. Business is picking up here at the Harbor.
  • Mamadou hits the three and ties the ball game up. And the crowd goes wild. 31-31 all.
  • Ryan Litke walks on a fake pass - so SHU turns the ball over. Here's the Stags chance to pull it tight. FU ball.
  • Diakhate adds both, and keeps the Stags on pace. 31-28 SHU.
  • Mamadou works hard as hell underneath, despite being the smallest guy by far under there. His great hustle leads to a second chance and a foul. He goes to the line.
  • Drew Shubik - in front of a White Sea yelling and waving towels - hits the first, and then adds the second. Nice job. 31-26 SHU.
  • Mamadou, as tough as they come on D, gets called for a hold. That's the team's seventh, so SHU goes to the line for the one-and-one.
  • Nero, a fantastic foul shooter, adds both to pull the Stags a little closer. 29-26 SHU.
  • Han works the ball down-low to Nero, who begins to drive but is hacked in the process. Nero goes to the line for two shots.
  • Awkward looking shot from Corey Hassan finds its way in, and the Pioneers respond. 29-24 Pioneers.

- Keith Connors

27-24 SHU; 6:16 in the 1st

  • Han grabs a steal, takes it to the house, and gets up and dunks it with authority. Nice ups ofr a big man. What a run. The Stags could use more stops on D though.
  • Han for three? No. Peanut put back? Nah. Yorel grabs the board and puts in it nicely. You bet?
  • Han tries for an oop throw, somehow hits rim, and then somehow Anthony Johnson flies in, grabs the board, and puts it in. 27-20 SHU.
  • Devin Johnson attempts a three on a kick-out from Han, but is blocked by a hussling Drew Shubik. FU retains possession.
  • The White Sea has filled in nicely. SHU still has a slight edge, but it's a great atmosphere at the Harbor right now.
  • Mr. Announcer: "And now, Sacred Heart!" Umm, sure. Could you be a little more specific?

- Keith Connors

27-18 SHU; 7:44 in the 1st

  • Devin Johnson cuts on the baseline and gets the feed from Greg Nero in the post - and puts it in nicely. Great ball movement. 27-18 SHU.
  • Drew Shubik gets a little greedy and tries to get an alley-oop, but misses the mark way high. Justtttt a bit outside. FU ball.
  • Nice effort from Peanut Johnson as he dives for a loose ball and gets a jump-ball call. It should have never even been an issue. But the arrow points towards Big Red and the Pioneeers retain possession.
  • Han goes one-of-two from the charity stripe. 27-16 SHU.
  • Han gets hit as he drives the lane, and the refs blow the whistle on Ryon Howard. Han will go to the line and shoot two.
  • Han hits a nice looking three on a great kick-out from A.J. Chauncey Hardey answers at the other end with a fall-away jumper. 27-15 SHU.
  • Shubik gets a pretty reverse lay-in on the baseline, and the Pioneers answer. 25-12 SHU.
  • Nero drives the lane and gets it. 23-12 SHU.
  • FU needs to do two things: play at their low-key pace, and gets stops on D. That's when the Stags are at their best. Neither of those things are happening, and FU looks terrible.

- Keith Connors

23-10 SHU; 11:34 in the 1st

  • Media T.O. 'Cause we really need it.
  • Lyndon Jordan just misses on a great look for three from the perimeter - but then the Stags turn it over. SHU gives it right back on a Marty flop. Stags ball.
  • #15 - don't know his name - hits a shot undernaeth. 23-10 SHU.
  • Marty drills it, and the Stags desperately need a stop on the other end. 21-10 SHU.
  • Evanovich misses the three, but Marty grabs that rebound and his own miss and finally puts it in. Nice work from the senior underneath. He goes to the line for a chance at the old-fashioned three.

- Keith Connors

21-7 SHU; 13:05 in the 1st


  • Cooley calls a desperate timeout with Han trapped. Not a picture perfect start for Fairfield.
  • Brice Brooks hits a little jumper and gets it to go on a hook shot. 21-7 SHU early at the Harbor.
  • Corey Hassan hits another three. Wow. What a start for this kid. 19-7 SHU in a rout so far.
  • Liam Potter works A.J. under the boards and gets the bounce off the glass to go. Nice job under the board. Then FU turns the ball over. Ouch. 16-7 SHU.
  • Evanovich misses a three, and the loose ball goes out of bounds off of the Stags. SHU ball with a seven-point lead.
  • Corey Hassan answers with a three. 14-7 SHU.
  • Big Mike Evanovich drains a three - just the shot in the arm the Stags need after the timeout. 11-7 SHU.
  • Dapper Cooley watch: well, he was wearing a customized red blazer - but not anymore. It's been that rough of a start for the Stags. Oh, boy.

- Keith Connors

11-4 SHU; 15:48 in the 1st

  • MEDIA timeout: 11-4 SHU
  • After a missed dunk, Warren Edney gets a little anxious and drives too hard. Looks like the refs are going to be calling that all night.
  • Chauncey Hardey drains the three. The Pioneers' outside shooters are hitting their open shots. 11-4 SHU.
  • Yorel Hawkins gets called on the drive - and Cooley is not pleased with the call. Must be something in the water here at Harbor Yard. 8-4 SHU @ 16:55.
  • Charge on Han on the baseline, and the refs are making sure this one doesn't get too rough too fast. SHU ball.
  • Anthony Johnson gets an oop and hits in with authority. (I never thought I'd say this at a Harbor Yard game) and the crowd goes wild. SHU answers with a three from Corey Hassan. 8-4 SHU.
  • Liam Potter, the Pioneers' big 7'0 footer, gets called on a walk. Naughty, naughty. Stags ball.
  • A.J. and Nero do a little back door cut and pass to get the Stags on the board. Nice look. 5-2 SHU.
  • Brooks drills both from the charity stripe - and the Pioneers have come out strong. 5-0 SHU.
  • Brice Brooks goes up strong on a post-up and is met by Nero. The refs think it's a little too much contact and call the foul.
  • Chauncey Hardey getas a pretty kick-out pass and drills the 3. 3-0 SHU.
  • Warren Edney steps on the line on a dish inside and the Stags turn it over.
  • Gettin' Tipsy: Anthony Johnson vs. Liam Potter. A.J. is down in size, but he looks ready to roll tonight. Advantage: Stags. FU ball to start off here at Harbor Yard.
  • Gotta love the Red Sea putting up the Mirror during SHU's lineup.
  • Big Red was up on the table just now. Wow. Now that's intensity.
  • The pre-game Crowd Advantage definitely goes to the Sacred Heart reds. Fairfield's showing as upped a lot since the women's game, but the Pioneers are definitely outnumbering right now. Either way, it'll be a lively crowd tonight - should be a fun one for everybody here.
  • Bill Gonillo tribute before the game - very moving, and a very nice man. He will be missed.

- Keith Connors

The Fight for Fairfield: FU/SHU

Welcome to Mirror Online's coverage of tonight's game between the Sacred Heart Pioneers (0-3) and your Fairfield Stags. Tonight marks the first time in program history that the Stags have taken on Sacred Heart. We're expecting a full, raucous crowd for the men's game here - something we haven't been able to see since last season's finale in the MAAC tournament against Loyola (Md.)

Here's a quick look:

  • The Stags got their first win of the season last Thursday nigh in D.C. against American University. After trailing by six at half, the Stags went on a 14-o run to start the second half. Greg Nero led the way with 15 points - with 13 of those coming in a dominant second half performance. Head Coach Ed Cooley stressed the importance of Nero and forward Anthony Johnson to the team's success this season. Jon Han also tallied 15 in the W.
  • The last time we saw Fairfield on the court at Harbor Yard - Jon Han had a bloody nose, the Stags were undisciplined, Cooley was about to have an anyurism and the refs' calls, and Holy Cross came out on top. Has FU learned its lesson? Time will tell.
  • Sacred Heart is 0-3, with their most recent loss a 70-55 game against the University of Hrtford. The team opens it's season with five of their first six games on the road. It's a significant stat in that the team was 11-2 last season on its home court, the Pitt Center on campus.
  • Harbor Yard is expecting a near sellout tonight, we've got both pep bands, both mascots, t-shirts and towels. It's about as cool as an atmosphere as we've seen in a long time at Harbor Yard. Cooley may say it's just another game on the schedule, but the community is excited and the players on both sides will feel off of it.
  • FU: White. SHU: Red. That's the tale of the tape tonight - on the court and in the stands.
  • Stag vs. Big Red Showdown? Doubtful. But the two will definitely butt heads on the court.
  • Pre-game Meal: tacos and Mexicali rice. Ole. Although I'm a little nervous about the after affects.
Starting Lineups:
  • SHU: F #4 Corey Hassan; F #44 Brice Brooks; C #32 Liam Potter; G #50 Drew Shubik; G #22 Chauncey Hardey; head coach Dave Bike (30th season)
  • FU: F #22 Warren Edney; F #44 Greg Nero; C #32 Anthony Johnson; G #3 Jon Han; G #4 Yorel Hawkins; head coach Ed Cooley (second season)
More to come

- K.C.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Final from the Harbor: Holy Cross 67, Fairfield 54

  • Final from the Harbor: Herbie Allen's jumper misses, Adam May grabs the board, and that's all she wrote. Jon Han and Anthony Johnson walk off the court to end the game without even shaking hands. A definite intense game. Interesting all around.
  • Cooley calls off the horses and tells them not to foul. Cunningham finally gets fouled and goes to the line. He hits both shots to send the lead to 13. 67-54 HC.
  • Cunningham, whose having a great night, hits both shots and ices the game. 65-54 HC.
  • Evanovich gets a turnaround, as the Stags try to keep it close. They foul down nine with :45.6 to go. Colin Cunningham goes to the line.
  • Doherty converts both shots. 63-52 HC.
  • After a foul on one end, Mamadou gives a little "behind the ref's back" elbow and the Holy Cross bench is incensed. A dirty player by nature, I'm hardly surprised.
  • Allen gets a quick shot after a steal. The lead in nine. 61-52 HC.
  • Edney tries for a three, but was on the line. 61-50 HC.
  • Quick foul on Hawkins - his third - after an inbound from the Holy Cross bench. Doherty goes to the line to ice the game. Doherty nails both. 61-48 HC.
  • Yorel Hawkins takes it hard and gets fouled - he nearly got the roll in too. Hawkins goes to the line to give FU at least a chance. He adds both to the tally. 59-48 HC.
  • 59-46 HC, 2:22 to go.
  • Mamadou came in for D, but instead gets called for a foul. Not good. Colin Cunningham will shoot two on the gimme. He gets both shots. HC is up, 57-46 - then gets a steal and then a put in on the other side of the floor.
  • Han whiffs on the shot. HC ball.
  • The Crusaders' get called for a block on the floor - sending Jon Han to the line. Something tells me Han won't be invited to any parties in Worcester anytime soon.
  • Pat Doherty hits both shots from the free throw line. 55-46 HC.
  • 53-46 HC with the Crusaders going to the line. In the mean time, how 'bout that dance team?
  • Herbie goes in hard after a rebound and gets called for a loose ball foul. That'll send Holy Cross to the line for two shots - not exactly what Cooley drew up.
  • 3:57 to play. Plenty of time. Plenty of things can happen.

- K.C.

53-46 HC; 3:57 in the 2nd

  • Timeout FU to draw up a play.
  • Kyle Cruze hits both shots - nothing but net- and the Crusaders make it a seven-point game. 53-46 HC.
  • Hawkins misses a three - on the other side, Han gets called on a hack in what seemed to be a near block. There was some contact, though, and the refs called it.
  • A little miscommunication causes HC to turn it over again. The Stags need to start taking advantage if they want to have a shot. The clock is ticking...

- K.C.

51-46 HC; 5:02 in the 2nd

  • H.C. timeout after a few misses on tip-ins on the offensive end.
  • Holy Cross misses a pass in the post and turns it over. Let's see if the Stags take advantage.
  • Anthony Johnson adjusts extremely well to a Jon Han oop pass, and lays it in off the glass. 51-46 HC.
  • Cunningham drives, gets stopped, and then gets called on the walk. Stags ball - and they need points bad.
  • Holy Cross retains possession on a loose ball/errant pass.
  • Three chances are not enough - as the Stags can't find away to put it in the hoop. HC ball.
  • Cunningham adds the extra on the old-fashioned three point play. 51-44 HC.
  • Here's the scoop: it's a six - possible seven-point game with 7:23 to play. It's aggressive, it's physical, and right now the Stags are looking to find an extra spark to pull them closer. Either way, they're showing a lot of heart. A game like this last year, though, they normally lost. Is 2007-08 any different?

- K.C.

50-44 HC; 7:23 in the 2nd

  • Colin Cunningham cuts across the point and hits a baby hook - and gets called for the hack in the process. Nice job from Cunningham - who's amped up. He'll go the line for another one.
  • Eric Meister, the lone center left for the Purple Boys, is on the line. He misses the one-and-one, FU Ball.
  • Nero gets anxious going up for a board and gets called for an "over the back". They're in a one-and-one, and we'll go to the other side for some shots.
  • With a big lineup and a big man down from the other team, the Stags might be smelling blood - literally.
  • Offensive foul called on 00 Tim Clifford - and he's gone. The best big man from Holy Cross has checked out - and the crowd is lovin' it. "Na, Na,Na" chants all around.
  • Loud crowd at the Harbor.. just like Gene Doris dreamed it up.

- K.C.

48-44 HC; 9:02 in the 2nd

  • A stop after a score - which has rarely happened for FU - would be big right here to keep Uncle Mo on their side.
  • Marty gets a "one more" pass and drains it on a good possession for the Stags. They moved the ball great on the perimeter. 48-44 HC.
  • Herbie Allen gets a great feed from Han and gets the ball underneath to go. 48-42 Stags.
  • Ref calls a no-basket as Eric Meister tried to go up with the clock about to expire. Tough one - it really could have gone either way. But with the crowd in a very Bronx mood, they go with the Stags.
  • Han's first pass back on the court? An oop to Anthony Johnson to get the crowd rocking. I'm pretty sure he stared down somebody too. BUT, the Crusaders answer with a hook shot from the post. 48-40 HC.
  • Han's jersey is toast thanks to the blood. Now, he's rocking a retro Danny Ogelsby #13 jersey. Hey, I hear those things go on EBay for a pretty penny - no joke.

- K.C.