Game Notes
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University men's basketball team looks for its 20th win of the season when it heads to Saint Peter's College for a Sunday afternoon game. The tip takes place at 2 pm.
The Stags enter today's game with a 12-2 MAAC record, and hold the top spot in the MAAC standings by two games over Saint Peter's. With a win today, the Stags would have a three-game lead with three conference games left to play.
Fairfield has just two road games left this season which means it is guaranteed a winning record for 2010-11. It would mark the second straight season that the Stags have not posted a losing record, registering a 9-9 mark a year ago. Under Head Coach Ed Cooley, the Stags own a 35-40 record in road games coming into today's contest.
The Stags hold third place in the nation for scoring defense at 57.5 points in the last set of NCAA statistics. Stephen F. Austin (53.9 ppg), leads the nation in that category, followed by Wisconsin (56.3 ppg). Stats are for games through February 10.
Derek Needham remains the team's top scorer, checking into today's action with a 14.2 scoring average. He has scored in double figures in all but four games this season. Ryan Olander is next in line with a 10.7 scoring average. Olander is the team's top rebounder with 7.1 caroms per contest.
The Peacocks joined the Stags as the only teams with 10 conference wins after they defeated Marist College by a 66-54 margin on the road. Saint Peter's trails the Stags by two games with four conference contests left on the docket. The team has won five of its last six games, with the only blemish being a 59-45 setback at Canisius two games ago.
Saint Peter's saw its five-game win streak end with the loss to Canisius. The team has posted two five-game winning streaks this season, the first covering two MAAC games and three non-conference contests. The second included all MAAC opponents. It marked the first time since the 1990-91 season that the Peacocks have registered two five-game win streaks in a season.
The Peacocks will take on Loyola University-Chicago in the 2011 Sears Bracketbusters. Fairfield drew the Ramblers during the 2005-06 season, and dropped a 73-70 on the road as part of the Bracketbusters.
Saint Peter's has three double-figure scorers on the team, led by Wesley Jenkins' 13.4 points per game. Nick Leon and Jeron Belin are tied for second in scoring with 10.1 points every forty minutes. Ryan Bacon just misses the mark with 9.8 points per contest. Bacon is also the top rebounder at 7.2 caroms per outing.
