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FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- For the fifth straight season, the Fairfield University men's basketball team will open the season in the Connecticut 6 Classic, a college basketball tripleheader that includes six of Connecticut's Division I schools. On the fifth anniversary of the tripleheader, the event returns to Webster Bank Arena where it was played for the first time. And, Fairfield will take on Sacred Heart University in the Classic this year, the fifth time that these two teams will meet.

The Stags will begin their third season under Head Coach Sydney Johnson on Saturday night. The game is slated for 8 pm and is the third game in this tripleheader. The Connecticut 6 Classic begins with a 3 pm matchup between Hartford and Quinnipiac before Yale and Central Connecticut battle each other at 5:30 pm. Tickets are available on line at www.ticketmaster.com or in person at the Arena box office.

Fairfield comes off another winning season as the team posted a 19-16 overall record and advanced to the postseason for the fourth straight season. The Stags received a bid to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament after advancing to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals.

Forward Maurice Barrow returns to the lineup and represents the only senior on this year's roster. In fact, there are six players on the roster who donned a Fairfield uniform last season and six others who did not. Coach Johnson will try to find the right combination for the upcoming season that includes the proper mix of both returning players and newcomers. Barrow will certainly lead the way as the team's top returning scorer, netting 8.9 points per game. Amadou Sidibe earned a spot in Fairfield annals as a sophomore captain. Sidibe, who collected a spot on the MAAC All-Rookie team and was named the MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year last season, is the program's top returning rebounder.

Among the newcomers, Coach Johnson will have two transfers ready to take the floor after fulfilling their NCAA residency requirement. Malcolm Gilbert, brother of sophomore Marcus Gilbert, will join the lineup after spending a season at the University of Pittsburgh. Sean Grennan comes to Fairfield via Seton Hall University where he spent his freshman season with the Pirates basketball program.

Sacred Heart will be under the direction of Anthony Latina, who begins his first season as the head coach of the Pioneers. Latina served as associate head coach at Sacred Heart for the last few seasons and also spent time as an assistant coach at Central Connecticut State University. Latina will try to help the Pioneers rebounds from their nine-win season in 2012-13.

Louis Montes is the team's top returning scorer with a 14.4 scoring average, while Steve Glowiak comes back after netting 10.4 points every forty minutes. The Pioneers also welcome back Phil Gaetano, who dished off more than 200 assists a year ago. Sacred Heart must find a way to replace Shane Gibson, who graduated after placing nationally with a 21.6 scoring average.

This game is the first of three being played at Webster Bank Arena in the next two weeks. After the Sacred Heart game, the Stags will host the University of Hartford on November 13, before heading to Loyola University, Md. on November 16. The team returns home for a November 20 matchup with the College of the Holy Cross. Both the Hartford and Holy Cross contests are part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Classic being played this month. The tournament will continue with the Stags playing defending national champion Louisville on November 23 and either North Carolina or Richmond on November 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.