Edney, Stags hand Pioneers second loss of season, 70-54
Mike Randa
Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: Sports
The battle for college basketball bragging rights in Fairfield fell short for the Sacred Heart University Pioneers as the Fairfield University Stags prevailed 70-54 on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
The Pioneers' attempt to "Bag a Stag," although well fought, was not enough to take home the victory. The loss dropped the Pioneers' record to 0-2 on the season, while Fairfield improved to 1-1.
"Obviously I don't think we played as well as we could have," said junior guard Corey Hassan. "We let their momentum get us down and we didn't have much momentum on offense. We need to pick it up if we want to get our first win [today]."
The battle not only took place on the court but in the stands as well, with fans cheering and heckling for both teams.
The rivalry was built up for weeks as both schools promoted the game to students, faculty, staff, and the Fairfield community.
The cheerleaders, band, and dance team also helped to liven the crowd and enhance the atmosphere at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
Despite the loss, the team received a strong effort from graduate student captain Joey Henley, who led the Pioneers with 18 points and seven rebounds.
Senior Ryon Howard scored 11 points on the night, including a first-half slam-dunk that energized the Pioneer faithful and brought the Pioneers to within three points of the Stags, 20-17.
The first half was a continuous back-and-forth battle, as both teams traded baskets throughout. It wasn't until midway through the half that Fairfield caught fire - a flame that the Pioneers couldn't put out.
For the second game in a row, the Pioneers were plagued by turnovers - committing 21 against the Stags.
"We turned the ball over twenty-one times," said Howard. "It's hard to win games when you're giving up shot opportunities by turning the ball over. Fairfield went on a couple runs and we never recovered, so that basically was our downfall."
The Pioneers' attempt to "Bag a Stag," although well fought, was not enough to take home the victory. The loss dropped the Pioneers' record to 0-2 on the season, while Fairfield improved to 1-1.
"Obviously I don't think we played as well as we could have," said junior guard Corey Hassan. "We let their momentum get us down and we didn't have much momentum on offense. We need to pick it up if we want to get our first win [today]."
The battle not only took place on the court but in the stands as well, with fans cheering and heckling for both teams.
The rivalry was built up for weeks as both schools promoted the game to students, faculty, staff, and the Fairfield community.
The cheerleaders, band, and dance team also helped to liven the crowd and enhance the atmosphere at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
Despite the loss, the team received a strong effort from graduate student captain Joey Henley, who led the Pioneers with 18 points and seven rebounds.
Senior Ryon Howard scored 11 points on the night, including a first-half slam-dunk that energized the Pioneer faithful and brought the Pioneers to within three points of the Stags, 20-17.
The first half was a continuous back-and-forth battle, as both teams traded baskets throughout. It wasn't until midway through the half that Fairfield caught fire - a flame that the Pioneers couldn't put out.
For the second game in a row, the Pioneers were plagued by turnovers - committing 21 against the Stags.
"We turned the ball over twenty-one times," said Howard. "It's hard to win games when you're giving up shot opportunities by turning the ball over. Fairfield went on a couple runs and we never recovered, so that basically was our downfall."
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