After leading by as many as seven points early in the first half, Loyola (Md.) allowed Fairfield University to end the first half on a 21-10 run. The Stags lead 30-26 at halftime of the 2012 MAAC Championship Game in Springfield, Mass.
The Greyhounds got off to a good early start and took a 16-9 lead on a three-pointer by Anthony Winbush midway through the first half. But Fairfield responded by scoring the next seven points to tie the game and the rest of the half was a nip-and-tuck affair.
Fairfield retook the lead at 21-20 with 4:07 remaining on a jumper by Maurice Barrow with just over four minutes to play and held it going into halftime.
Rakim Sanders leads all scorers with 10 points for the Stags, while Ryan Olander has chipped in with nine points. For Loyola, Erik Ertherly, Justin Drummond, and Winbush all have six points each.
With a win, Loyola would receive just its second NCAA bid and first since 1994.