Fairfield, Conn. – Caleb Fields scored a career-high 27 points as Fairfield University held on for a 78-72 victory over the Le Moyne College men’s basketball team on Saturday afternoon at Leo D. Mahoney Arena.
“We can’t turn the ball over 20 times plain and simple,” said head coach Nate Champion. “That’s something we pride ourselves on and we knew they’re active on the defensive end, but 20 turnovers is just unacceptable. That’s just a matter of toughness and not only like physical toughness, but a sense of pride to like as a player, just having somebody that’s not going to take the ball from you. So for us, like having 20 turnovers, I mean we had 19 assists. If we cut that down to you know, 10 or 11 turnovers, it’s, I think, a different story, but we didn’t, and that’s been kind of the story of us in close games so far this year. We have to figure out ways to win close games because when the NEC starts, every game in the conference, no matter which conference you’re in, is going to be a close one. So for us, we have to understand that, we have to figure out ways to win in close games and execute late and close games. And then also, we can’t dig ourselves a hole. I mean, we get down 14 points there in the second half because we’re turning the ball over. We’re taking quick, uncharacteristic shots that we shouldn’t be taking in the offense. And then that leads to break out points on it and for us we’re in basically scramble mode on defense, and we just can’t do that. We have to understand when teams are going to run we have to really work the ball and get good shots to combat what they’re doing on offense.”
>> Box score
Graduate student forward Luke Sutherland (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee/Siena/Bryant) led the Dolphins with 16 points, including 14 in the second half, a season-high nine rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals. Junior forward Ocypher Owens (Orlando, Fla./Orlando Christian Prep/Indian River State) also tallied 16 points, including 11 in the first half, to go with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sophomore forward Trent Mosquera (Brookline, Mass./Belmont Hill School) recorded a season-best 14 points, all of which came in the second half, to go with three rebounds, while graduate student guard Kaiyem Cleary (Manchester, England/Redemption Christian Academy (NY)/Florida Southern/Florida Southwestern/Ball State) netted eight of his 10 points in the first half.
Fields connected on 8-of-18 shots, including four three-pointers, along with going 7-of-7 from the foul line en route to his career-best total, while adding five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Jasper Floyd recorded a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds to go with five assists and five steals. Brycen Goodine tallied 12 points off the bench.
The teams went back and forth over the opening six minutes of the game, resulting in a 12-11 Fairfield lead. Cleary scored six points in the span for the Dolphins.
The Stags took control of the game with the next seven points. Fields started the run with a three-pointer, his third of the game at that point, Floyd followed with a lay-up, Louis Bleechmore made two free throws and then Goodine made a foul shot with 11:05 left.
After the teams traded points over the next four and one-half minutes, Goodine gave the Stags their largest lead of the half, 27-17, with a three-pointer at the 5:48 mark.
Following back-and-forth play over the next four minutes, the Dolphins scored the final five points of the half to close within 34-30 at the intermission. Sutherland made two free throws and then graduate student guard Isaiah Salter (Charlotte, N.C./Central Cabarrus/American International/Adelphi) drained a three-pointer from the left wing.
After a three-pointer by Sutherland to get the Dolphins within 42-37 with 15:02 remaining in the second half, the Stags responded with 13 straight points to open up an 18-point advantage. Peyton Smith made a free throw, Fields scored in the paint, Floyd drilled a three-pointer and then Fields buried a three-pointer to force a Le Moyne timeout with 11:41 remaining. Following a minute of scoreless action, Fields made a shot and then Goodine converted two free throws 29 seconds later for the first 18-point lead of the game.
Mosquera snapped the run with a pair of free throws with 9:53 remaining, ending a stretch of 5:09 without a point for the Dolphins. After a pull-up jumper by Fields, Sutherland buried a three-pointer from the left side with 8:39 left to snap a Le Moyne drought of 6:23 without a basket.
After Fairfield scored six of the next nine points to push the lead back to 18, the Dolphins scored 16 of the next 19 points to get within five points. Sutherland started the run with a put-back lay-up, Mosquera drilled another three-pointer and Salter made a shot in the paint to get the Dolphins within 11. After a Fairfield free throw, Mosquera buried a three-pointer from the top of the key. Following a Floyd jumper, Owens drained a three-pointer and freshman guard AJ Dancler (Indianapolis, Ind./Southport) recorded a conventional three-point play to make it 66-61 with 3:15 remaining.
The Stags pushed their lead back to nine on a Smith lay-up two free throws from Fields.
Le Moyne answered with nine of the next 13 points to close within four. Owens had a dunk and Sutherland made a jumper around a Fairfield free throw. After another Fairfield free throw, Dancler scored to make it 74-69. Following two free throws by Fields, Mosquera connected on his fourth three-pointer of the half.
Fields closed out the game with two free throws with 5.5 seconds left.
Le Moyne (5-9), which fell to the Stags for the first time in five all-time meetings (the most recent of which occurred 68 years ago), returns to action on Saturday, January 6 for its Northeast Conference opener at FDU, which earned the NEC’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament last year.