Final from Harbor Yard: 76-56 FU

• YOUR FINAL: Fairfield 76, St. Peter's 56
  
• C.J. Reid makes it a respectable twenty point spread, but the Stags dribble the ball out and end the game.
  
• Traore knocks down a hook shot that somehow found its way over Olander. Turner hits a shot on the other end to answr.
  
• SPC is forced to take another timeout after Farifield presses hard on the in-bound. "Good job!" Cooley yells.
  
• Dunne calls for one last timeout to soak it all in. 74-52 Fairfield
  
• Now Lyndon Jordan drains a twenty-foooter from a step inside the arc, and the Stags' bench erupts again. If somehow we could get "Big Baby" Brandon Davis into the game and score, we'd have the ultimate tri-fecta.
  
• Olander feeds Grzeck a pretty lob pass, and Seanie knocks it in off the glass. Great, great look - and Fairfield extends the lead back to twenty.
  
• O'Sullivan hits a three! Khalil Mumford (another MAAC name of the year possibility) answers on the other end. 70-50.
  
• Jimmy O'Sullivan - Cooley's self-professed "victory cigar" - checks in for Sean Crawford. Light 'em up, Red. 67-47 FU.
  
• Brandon Hall uses the glass and deflects a shot from the post in. SPC has scored an awful lot this half... compared to their 40.7% in the first (2-of-9 from three). 67-43 Stags.
  
• Sean Grzeck nails a three - a sure sign you know it is a good night to be a Stag. 67-41 Fairfield.
  
• Yorel Hawkins gets a great feed from Ryan Olander (seems like I've been typing his name a lot in a short amount of time). Truth be told, though, it was a great job of ball movement all the way down the floor, especially from Evanvoich (who passed up an open three) and Crawford (who drove the lane and dished a pass out to Olander). Fairfield leads, 64-39 with 5:49 to go.
  
• Ryan Olander blocks a Jenkins' offering on a drive. He may still be raw, but his sheer size alone will be enough to get him consistent playing time, and make life a lot easier for Cooley in tight games when fouls become troublesome. The option of going to Olander and Mike Evanovich - two above-average sized forwards - off the bench is exciting.
  
• Evanovich hits the shot, despite dribbling and making a step. We'll let it go, Mike - just don't let that whole dribbling thing happen again. 58-37 Stags.
  
• Han and Herbie pull a give-and-go-and-give that spins Wesley Jenkins in every which way. Fairfield has looked markedly better running the floor and in transition thus far in '08-'09. They'll need to be to compete with the likes of Siena. 56-37 Stags.
  
• Han calls Evanovich's shot before it even hits the basket: "Good look, Mike". Nice pass, too, Mr. Han. The Stags extend the lead to 19.
  
• A nice pair of defensive series for Fairfield brings us to the media timeout --> 51-33 Fairfield.
  
• St. Peter's last names: Bacon, Gooding, Jenkins, Leon, Hall, Reid, Costner, Hill - basically out of central casting for any stereotype basketball movie. All you need is Gene Hackman on the sidelines and you're there.
  
• Ismalia Traore, an early candidate for my favorite name in the MAAC, is called for 'over-the-back' on the other side of the floor. Stags ball up 16.
  
• The crowd gives a Ron Burgundy-esque chant at an official who calls a hold on Warren Edney, who managed a nice move in Fairfield's half-court trap defense. 16 point lead? Are you not entertained?
  
• 'Thriller' by Michael Jackson from the FU pep band. Why am I excited? 1) it's a new song for the band, which is a rarity in these parts, and 2) they finally listened to the pages and pages of letters I've sent them begging them to learn an M.J. song. At last...
  
• Media timeout after the two teams exchange turnovers --> 47-31 Stags
  
• After the break, the Stags deploy a pretty full-court press that St. Peter's barely figures out before the violation. Ed Cooley implores the bench to give a polite golf clap in recognition.
  
• Han buries a three-point basket and the tags take a 47-30 lead. You took the words right out of my mouth, Mr. Fitzpatrick
  
• Cooley pulls a little Ralph Kramden on the sidelines as Peanut boots what would've been a wide-open dunk attempt into the stands. Rough night, eh Coach?
  
• Foul on Jordan Costner on a three-and-one fastbreak. Edney to the line to shoot two.
  
• Herbie pulls an Evanovich (just catch-and-shoot) and drains a trey. Nicely done, sir. 42-27 Fairfield.