Box Score BRIDGEPORT, CT - Fairfield senior Derek Needham's 24-foot three-pointer with 5.5 seconds left was the difference in a 66-64 win over the Iona College men's basketball team in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action at Webster Bank Arena. Iona dropped its fifth game in its last six appearances, each loss in the final possession.
Senior
Lamont Jones scored 29 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and 10-of-11 from the charity stripe. It was Jones' 11th game with 10 or more free throws made.
Junior
Sean Armand scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting including two three point field goals. He increased his season total to 97, breaking former Gael standout Steve Burtt's single season school record of 96 set in 2006.
Sophomore
David Laury posted 12 points and six boards with three blocks and three steals.
The Gaels built an 11-point advantage midway through the first half. A Jones transition layup put Iona ahead 24-13 at the 9:08 mark. A 16-4 run by the Stags erased the deficit and took a 29-28 lead on a three pointer by Justin Jenkins with 3:57 to play.
Neither team could pull away in the second half. Trailing by two with 7:24 remaining, Jones hit two free throws to spark a 9-0 run over the next 3:48. A rare Sledge three-pointer gave Iona a 61-54 advantage with 3:48 to play. Fairfield answered with nine straight of their own and took a two point lead on Marcus Glibert's three pointer with 47 seconds left. Jones followed with a conventional three-point play to regain a one point lead with 21.3 ticks on the clock. Needham pulled up from well beyond the arc on the left win to give the home team its final lead. A last second shot attempt by Armand rimmed out and the Gaels fell 66-64.
Needham scored 14 of his team-high 17 points in the second half. Jenkins had 12 points and Maurice Barrow added 10 off the bench. Freshman Amadou Sidibe posted nine points and nine rebounds for the Stags.
Iona is back in action Saturday in the 2013 Ramada Worldwide ESPN Bracketbusters event at Indiana State. The Gaels travel to Terre Haute, IN for an 11:00 am tip with the Sycamores on ESPNU.
