Taliaferro's late basket sends Fairfield past Denver 86-85
SEATTLE -- Landon Taliaferro scored 21 points including the go-ahead layup with 1:41 left and Fairfield beat Denver 86-85 in an Elgin Baylor Classic game on Sunday.
Neftali Alvarez made a layup after Taliaferro's and Felix Lemetti's 3-pointer with 18 seconds left gave Fairfield an 86-80 lead. Elvin Rodriguez made a pair of free throws and Ronnie Harrell Jr. hit a 3 for Denver with five seconds left. The Pioneers called a timeout and fouled Ade Murkey, who missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Denver never got off a shot.
Wassef Methnani's jump shot with 14:44 remaining put the Stags ahead 59-46 before Denver outscored them 28-14 over the next 10 minutes for a 74-73 lead with three free throws by Harrell.
The Stags sped to a 22-8 lead on Aidas Kavaliauskas' layup with 11:31 before halftime. Lemetti's 3-pointer four minutes later made it 33-16. Fairfield shot 17 of 32 (53 percent) in the first half, including 9 of 16 from 3-point range, and led 46-38 at intermission.
Alvarez scored 13 points, Methnani and Lemetti each scored 12 and Jonathan Kasibabu had 10 with five rebounds for Fairfield (2-5).
Harrell led Denver with 21 points, David Nzekwesi scored 17, Elvin Rodriguez, 16 and Murkey, 13.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Gregory Nixon
- Jimmy Casas
- Matt Mason
2023-24 Summit League Standings
Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
---|---|---|---|
South Dakota State | 12-4 | - | 22-13 |
North Dakota | 10-6 | 2 | 18-14 |
Kansas City | 10-6 | 2 | 16-16 |
St. Thomas-Minnesota | 9-7 | 3 | 20-13 |
North Dakota State | 8-8 | 4 | 15-17 |
Omaha | 7-9 | 5 | 15-18 |
Denver | 6-10 | 6 | 17-17 |
Oral Roberts | 5-11 | 7 | 12-19 |
South Dakota | 5-11 | 7 | 12-20 |
2023-24 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Standings
Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
---|---|---|---|
Quinnipiac | 15-5 | - | 24-10 |
Fairfield | 14-6 | 1 | 24-13 |
Marist | 12-8 | 3 | 18-13 |
Saint Peter's | 12-8 | 3 | 19-14 |
Rider | 12-8 | 3 | 15-17 |
Niagara | 11-9 | 4 | 16-16 |
Iona | 10-10 | 5 | 16-17 |
Mount St. Mary's | 9-11 | 6 | 13-19 |
Canisius | 8-12 | 7 | 14-18 |
Manhattan | 4-16 | 11 | 7-23 |
Siena | 3-17 | 12 | 4-28 |