The men’s basketball team’s dream season came to an end Tuesday in historic fashion, as the Stags lost to Boston College 90-78 in the opening round of the NIT at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
Senior forward Nick Delfico became the program’s all-time leader in games played in front of the largest crowd of 6,585 to ever watch a Fairfield basketball game at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
Delfico played in his 117th career game, breaking A.J. Wynder’s record of 116 games played between ’83-87.
“The program has made great strides over my four years. Every aspect of the program has improved. I can only imagine that its going to continue to improve,” Delfico said. “Schedule wise, bringing in the right guys and notoriety all around … a lot more people know about Fairfield than in the past.”
Delfico scored nine of Fairfield’s 13 points to help the Stags grab an early eight-point lead. Delfico scored a team-high 14 points, but Boston’s College’s Troy Bell, Big East Player of the Year, stole the show and the game away from Fairfield in the second half with a game-high 28 points.
“Basically, he’s a pro,” Delfico said. “He’s by far the best we’ve played against.”
Head coach Tim O’Toole added, “We threw everything we had at him. There just isn’t much you can do,” he said.
Fairfield finished the season with an overall record of 19-12. Only four previous Fairfield teams compiled more wins in a single season.
Boston College, which shared the Big East regular season title with Connecticut, was snubbed from the NCAA Tournament after losing in the conference tournament semifinals, leaving many wondering if the Eagles would face a let down against the Stags in the NIT.
“They did show up. I don’t think they showed up to their potential. They were a little stagnant in the first half, but they came to play once the second half kicked in and they got their stove pretty warm,” Delfico said. “They took care of business the way it should be done. Give them credit for that.”
After trailing 46-38 at halftime, the Stags were never able to come up with defensive stops at crucial junctures down the stretch of the second half.
“Obviously hats off to Boston College. They are a special club. You’re never happy losing,” O’Toole said. “We competed. We worked hard. We made some mistakes. But hey, you’re also playing against a guy who might be the player of the year in the country – and he showed it.”
For the first time since 1997, Fairfield received a post-season bid. In 1997, the Stags nearly upset North Carolina in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, falling 82-74 to the heavily favored Tar Heels.
The last time Fairfield made an appearance in the NIT was a year earlier when the Stags lost to Providence 91-79 at the New Haven Coliseum.
Tuesday’s attendance at the Arena at Harbor Yard nearly tripled the Stags average of 2,470 fans at home this year.
“It was a great atmosphere. The students really came out and supported us in the post season,” Delfico said. “The guys were really pumped up. It’s something to work for going into next year.”
Fairfield lost its chance to gain an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament by losing in the MAAC Championship game against Manhattan on March 10.
The Stags’ sluggish play put them in an early hole that they were never able to climb out of, losing 69-54. O’Toole said having to play three games in three days was one of the factors that contributed to Fairfield’s dismal offensive production against the Jaspers.
“We just weren’t into the game mentally,” O’Toole said. “We did everything we needed to do defensively, we just didn’t score.”
Scoring wasn’t a problem for the Stags on Tuesday, as the team had five players score in double figures, led by Delfico’s 14, Terrence Todd’s 13, Oscar Garcia and Mike Bell’s 12, and Deng Gai’s 11 points.
“We were invited to this [NIT]. That’s an unbelievable accomplishment for us,” O’Toole said. “It wasn’t easy. I’m so proud of these guys, because it has been so hard.”
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