Game Notes

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University men's basketball team starts 2012 by hosting Canisius College on New Year's Day at Webster Bank Arena. Game time is set for 1 pm.

The Stags are tied for the top spot in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) standings with a 2-0 record. Fairfield opened the MAAC schedule by sweeping Canisius and Niagara on its annual swing through upstate New York on the first weekend of December. Fairfield will try to become the first team to reach three conference wins as the rest of the MAAC teams play on January 2 and 3.

Fairfield comes off a pair non-conference road losses, dropping two eight-point decisions to defending national champion Connecticut and Drexel. The Stags own a 7-6 overall record as they head into the conference portion of is 2011-12 schedule.

Derek Needham continues his resurgence by averaging 15 points per game over the last six contests. He is currently tied for second among his teammates with an 11.9 scoring average which also equals Ryan Olander's scoring average.  For the fifth straight game, Ryan Olander scored more points in the second half. The center tallied five points in the opening half and added 10 more points in the second half against Drexel. In the five game stretch, Olander has scored 16 first-half points and 41 second-half points, averaging 11.2 points per game overall in those contests.

Rakim Sanders is the team's top scorer with a 16.6 scoring average, which also places sixth in the MAAC.

Canisius has enjoyed the talents of Harold Washington, who leads the team in scoring at 18.9 points per game. The guard is also the team's top shooter, owning a .492 field goal percentage, a .355 three-point percentage, and a .829 free throw percentage. Chris Manhertz is the Golden Griffs' top rebounder, securing 7.7 caroms per contest.