Neither team had more than a four-point lead in the entire game, because in this game, four was massive, Rider led 34-30 on a Thompson jumper with 5:49 to go. But two minutes later, Fairfield's Derek Needham shocked everyone in attendance by rising up behind the three-point arc, launching the ball, and it actually went through the hoop.

It gave Fairfield a 35-34 lead and the rest of the game would turn into a glorified free throw shooting contest.

__



In recent years, the "what to do when you're up three and the other team has the ball with time running out" debate has been all the rage among the intellectual elite of Our Game, or the stat geeks as I would call them derogatorily.

From coaching, I know how things are not as precise as they seem on paper (or on the computer). Balls bounce funny ways on missed free throws, people can try to foul non-shooters and end up fouling shooters, you'd be surprised how much crazy stuff I've seen over the years. Even the master himself Ken Pomeroy has questioned recently whether it's worth it.

Of course, Sydney Johnson has a degree from Princeton, so we should trust him, correct? Especially in analytical matters like this.

So with the Stags leading 41-38 and time running out, Johnson had Colin Nickerson foul Thompson with 6.9 seconds left, and Thompson made both t make it 41-40. Needham hit two clutch free throws at the other end, and again Johnson ordered a foul, Coleman Johnson fouling Nurideen Lindsey with 1.2 seconds to go.

Lindsey tried to miss the second, but failed, sinking it, to make it 43-42. Needham was fouled with 0.8 seconds to go, and Rider - incorrectly in my opinion - used its final time out when Needham was shooting earlier. Johnson brought Needham over, told him to miss, he did, and Rider didn't even have time to chuck an 85-footer.

Advantage Princeton grad.



Although there are still things that even Ivy Leaguers can't control in Our Game. A couple of Rider shots in the final minutes seemed to go halfway down before popping out. Coach Kevin Baggett was sure Anthony Myles took a charge on Needham with 37 seconds left and the Stags up a point. Didn't get the call. Small margins, as the margins have been all year in the MAAC. On this night, they just weren't dealt a good hand to work with against a team that has swept them in the regular season even though they were five spots behind them in the final standings.

Even in things that are unattractive in this world, we can still admire portions of beauty in it. Although there were only 85 points combined, some of that is surely due to the defense both teams displayed. Defense worked on diligently every day in practice and even harder in the film room, picking up other teams' tendencies and weaknesses.

Even if it might be ugly to watch for the casual observer.

All of this semantics talk was probably small consolation to Rider and first-year head man Baggett, who saw an overachieving season end like this. But such is life in March, Kevin, and it's never too early for a young coach to learn that this game will hurt you.

As for Fairfield, although it was a tremendous magic act to make their way to the semifinals without an offense, you wondered how long the smoke and mirrors would keep up the illusion.