Yorel Hawkins scored 17 points and Fairfield's defense shut down Colorado State in a 62-60 victory in the first round of the NIT on Tuesday night
Ryan Olander added 12 points and 10 rebounds for Fairfield (25-7), winners of six of seven. The Stags forced 20 turnovers, but had their string of consecutive games holding opponents under 60 points snapped at 41.
''We played our normal uptempo style,'' Fairfield coach Ed Cooley said. ''We didn't let the altitude bother us and even when I thought about slowing it down, I saw our guys were still fresh and we kept on going.''
Hawkins turned up his game after being limited to seven minutes in the first half due to foul trouble.
''At halftime the coach me that I should be the freshest guy in the locker room,'' he said. ''I tried to use some of that energy to use my legs to get some jump shots and they went in.''
Andy Ogide led Colorado State (19-13) with 13 points. The Rams were denied their first 20-win season since 1997-98.
''They were the aggressor,'' Rams coach Tim Miles said. ''And the aggressor always wins.''
Hawkins hit two free throws with 18 seconds left to give the Stags a 61-57 lead, but Dorian Green responded with three foul shots to trim the lead to one with 8 seconds to go.
After Derek Needham went 1 for 2 from the line for Fairfield, Wes Eikmeier missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds.
Needham finished with 10 points, six assists and two steals for the Stags, who went 9 for 17 from the free-throw line.
Greg Smith had nine points, 15 rebounds and two blocks for the Rams, who outrebounded Fairfield 52-30. Colorado State went 19 for 23 from the line but shot 32 percent from the field.
