Nov. 15, 2009

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Fairfield, Conn. - The Fordham men's basketball defense did its job on Sunday night at Fairfield, holding the Stags to shooting just 29.4% (15-51) from the field, including 26.3% from three-point range. But this wasn't a game of percentages, it was a game of numbers and the number that mattered most was 28, as in 28 made free throws for Fairfield which propelled the Stags over the Rams, 63-55, in Alumni Hall.

With the loss, Fordham falls to 0-2 on the year while Fairfield improves to 2-0.

Fordham jumped out to a 15-5 lead 6:20 into the game, behind four points each from Brenton Butler and Fahro Alihodzic. After Fairfield opened the game with a Lyndon Jordan layup, Alihodzic answered with a bucket, igniting a 15-3 run for the Rams, capped by a Chris Gaston jumper.

The Stags cut the lead back to four, 17-13, over the next two minutes before Lance Brown answered with a basket for Fordham, giving the Rams a 19-13 advantage with just over eleven minutes left in the half.

Fairfield whittled away at the Fordham lead, cutting it to two, 19-17, on an Anthony Johnson free throw before baskets from Alihodzic and Alberto Estwick bumped the Fordham lead back to six, 23-17, with 5:07 remaining in the period.

The Rams would lead by six later in the half, 25-19, following a pair of Jio Fontan free throws with 3:31 left but the Stags would use an 11-3 spurt to take a 30-28 lead with 28 seconds left on two Derek Needham free throws. A Fontan layup at the buzzer knotted the score at 30 at the intermission.

Fairfield came out and scored the first seven points of the second half, taking a 37-30 lead 1:30 into the stanza, and the Stags would increase the lead to eight, 45-37 eight minutes later.

An Alihodzic jumper started a 7-2 run for the Rams as Fordham pulled to within three, 47-44, on an Estwick three-pointer with 6:37 remaining. But Ryan Olander answered with a three-pointer for the Stags and the closest the Rams would get from that point would be four, 56-52, on a Butler free throw with 1:30 left.

Fontan led Fordham with 13 points while Alihodzic and Estwick each finished with 12, with Alihodzic adding six rebounds and Estwick five. Butler added seven points and a team-high nine rebounds for the Rams.

Fordham will next be in action on Wednesday night, November 18th, as they host Sacred Heart University in the Rose Hill Gym at 7:00 PM.

Notes:
The win is the second straight for Fairfield over Fordham but the Rams still lead the all-time series, 32-12...The game was played in Fairfield's on campus facility, Fordham's first visit to Alumni Hall since November 29, 1997...Fairfield took 41 free throws to 12 for the Rams...The Stags outrebounded the Rams, 47-45...Lance Brown made his first appearance in a Fordham uniform, scoring two points.