FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University men's basketball team continues its quest for a bid to the NCAA tournament when it takes on fourth-seeded Saint Peter's College on Sunday afternoon at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard. Game time  is slated for 2 pm.

All four top seeds advanced in the 2011 Spark Energy Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) tournament with second-seeded Iona College and third-seeded Rider University comprising the second semifinal game at 4 pm. The winners of the semifinal games will meet at 7 pm on Monday night for the right to represent the MAAC in the NCAA tournament.

Fairfield advanced to the Spark Energy 2011 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Basketball Championship semifinals after its 55-31 win over Marist College yesterday. The Stags will play in the semifinal round for the third straight season. Fairfield defeated Manhattan before losing to Siena in the 2009 tournament, and defeated Canisius and Niagara before dropping an overtime decision to Siena in the title game in 2010.

Marist's 31 points in the MAAC quarterfinal game was the lowest point total in a MAAC tournament game, surpassing the 37 points scored against Manhattan in the 1993 tournament. The point total was also the lowest scored by an opponent against a Fairfield basketball team.

Fairfield registered 19 steals against Marist yesterday, which was a season-high and also established a MAAC tournament record. The previous MAAC standard stood at 18 by Manhattan against Niagara in the 2003 event. In addition to Derek Needham's six steals, Colin Nickerson added threes steals as well.

Saint Peter's advanced to the 2011 Spark Energy Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Basketball semifinals after its 70-60 win over fifth-seeded Loyola University. The fourth-seeded Peacocks received a team-high 17 points from reserve Jeron Belin, one of four Saint Peter's student-athletes to reach double figures. Ryan Bacon (15 points), Darius Conley (11 points), and Steven Samuels (10 points) also reached the mark
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Saint Peter's has participated in every MAAC Tournament since the league's inception in 1981. The Peacocks are 25-28 overall in MAAC Tournament games.. Saint Peter's has won two MAAC Tournament Championships. The team has appeared in six MAAC Tournament Championship Games, including the 2006 Championship Game.

Ryan Bacon and Wesley Jenkins were selected to the All-MAAC Second Team this week. This is the fi rst appearance on any All-MAAC team for Bacon, while Jenkins was on the All-MAAC Third Team twice and the All-Rookie team once. Ryan Bacon blocked three shots aginst Rider in the regular-season finale, setting the Saint Peter's College all-time record. Jenkins scored 19 points in the Rider game, making him just the eighth Peacocks to reach 1,500 career points.