March
16, 2010
Fairfield rallies from 27 down to beat George Mason
Box Score
FAIRFAX, Va. – Mike Evanovich scored a career-high 32 points,
setting a school record with nine three-point baskets to help
the Fairfield University men’s basketball team erase a 27-point
second-half deficit en route to a 101-96 overtime win in the
first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament
(CIT). Evanovich hit eight three-point shots in the second half,
including the game-tying shot with one second left in
regulation.
According to the NCAA record book, the 27-point comeback was the
greatest during the month of March in Division I history,
surpassing Missouri State's 23-point comeback against Southern
Illinois in 2005. The Stags comeback is tied for fourth for
second-half comebacks for all Division I games, with the record
being Kentucky's 31-point second-half comeback against LSU in
1994 as well as Duke's 31-point comeback against Tulane in 1950.
George Mason jumped out to an early lead at 5-2 before Fairfield
answered with back-to-back baskets by Colin Nickerson and Ryan
Olander on consecutive possessions. Isaiah Tate pushed the home
team back in front with a three-point shot at 8-6. Andre
Cornelius scored the next three points while Mike Morrison
followed with a jumper in the paint to give the Patriots their
largest lead at 13-6.
Olander stopped the run with a tip-in basket at the 14:25 mark
to pull the Stags within five points at 13-6. Cornelius hit
another three-point shot to improve the lead to eight points,
but Sean Crawford answered on the Stags next possession with a
basket that made the score 16-10 with 12:44 on the clock.
Fairfield came within three points after Mike Evanovich scored
the team’s lone three-point field goal at 8:28, which made the
score 25-22.
The deficit remained at three points at the 7:17 mark when
Cornelius netted a three-point shot which started a 9-0 run that
gave the Patriots a 12-point lead. George Mason would take its
biggest lead of the game with one second remaining as Mike
Morrison converted an alley oop pass into a three-point play
that resulted in a 49-30 halftime advantage.
The start of the second half did not start well for the Stags
either, as George Mason continued to roll in the opening four
minutes. The Patriots began the half with an 11-4 run that gave
them a commanding 26-point lead at 60-34. They would add another
point to their lead, reaching its biggest advantage with 16:08
remaining at 63-36.
By the next media timeout, the Stags cut the lead back to its
halftime deficit of 19 at 69-50, courtesy of a 14-6 run. Derek
Needham netted six points and Evanovich added five during that
run. The Stags trimmed another 10 points off the lead over the
next five minutes, as the deficit went under double figures for
the first time since early in the first half. With six minutes
on the clock, the Stags pulled within nine pints 74-65 after
Evanovich made another three-point shot.
George Mason rebuilt the lead to 12 points when Luke Hancock
made three of four free throws to make the score 77-65. However,
Fairfield scored the next five points off two Anthony Johnson
free throws and a three-point basket from Evanovich. With under
90 seconds remaining in regulation, the Patriots still held what
seemed to be a secure lead at nine points, 84-75.
Fairfield netted nine of the next 10 points that nearly erased
the deficit at 85-84. Evanovich wrapped two three pointers
around a Needham trey during that run. Ryan Pearson made a pair
of free throws with 19 seconds left for a three-point George
Mason lead. The Stags completed the rally with Evanovich’s
eighth three-point shot of the half and ninth of the game with
one second remaining, tying the game at 87-87.
Anthony Johnson scored on Fairfield’s first possession of the
overtime, giving Fairfield its first lead of the game since 6-5
with 16:45 remaining in the first half. Johnson scored nine in
the half, as the Stags led by as many as five points at 100-95
with 27 seconds remaining.
Johnson finished the game with 25 points, while Needham added 21
points for the Stags. Andre Cornelius led all George Mason
scorers with 28 points.
Fairfield will wait to see who itt will play in the CIT
quarterfinals on Monday, March 22.
|
