Stags' Bell seals 60-56 victory over Pepperdine

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hit the Bell, win a prize.

That's what Fairfield did last night in a 60-56 victory over Pepperdine in the first semifinal game of the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Michael Bell scored the final four points of the game, including a 3-pointer with 46 seconds remaining to break a 56-all tie and send the Stags into tonight's championship game.

"It just kind of happened," Bell said of the 3-point shot. "There was no hesitation. I practice those shots all the time, so I was confident."

Bell's heroics salvaged a near-collapse by the Stags in the second half. Fairfield led by as many as 14 in the first half, but trailed by as many as three with seven minutes remaining in the game.

"We had to try to settle back down," Fairfield head coach Tim O'Toole said. "(Pepperdine) averages 80 points a game. I think they have three guys who could be pros. That's some serious firepower."

Turning up its own defensive power, Fairfield held the Waves without a field goal in the game's final 5:43.

"We played 15 minutes of good basketball — the first 15 minutes of the second half," Pepperdine head coach Paul Westphal said.

Pepperdine was held to a season-low in points and field goal percentage (32.7). The Waves were especially dismal in the first half, shooting only 25 percent (6 of 24).

Fairfield led 27-13 late in the first half, and took a 27-17 lead at intermission.

"We had to dig out of that hole the whole game," Westphal said.

They nearly did. The Waves appeared to take control midway through the second half with a 14-2 run that turned a 41-32 deficit into a 46-43 lead.

The Stags eventually tied it at 50, setting up a back-and-forth battle in the final four minutes.

After Bell's 3-pointer, Pepperdine had two possessions with a chance to tie, but Glen McGowan missed a 3-pointer on each possession. Bell made one of two free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining to secure the victory.

Terrence Todd led a balanced Fairfield attack with 14 points and four assists, including the winning pass to Bell. DeWitt Maxwell and Bell added 13 points each, and Deng Gai had nine points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots for the Stags, who improved to 7-1.

Pepperdine, which dropped to 5-7, had three players score in double figures: Terrance Johnson (16), Alex Acker (15) and McGowan (11).

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.