FAIRFIELD, Conn -- It seems only fitting that the Fairfield University men's basketball team will play an Ivy League team in the first game of what has been deemed the Legacy Series, a run of three games played at Alumni Hall..
The Stags will face a strong test when Columbia University comes to Alumni Hall on Friday night at 5 pm, a team which leads the Ivy League in scoring (83.2 points per game) and ranks third in the League for scoring defense (69.2 points allowed per game).
The Lions picked up their third home win of the season with a 70-59 decision over Wofford on Tuesday night. Columbia won its three home games by an average of 24 points. The team is looking for its first road win of the campaign after falling to Kansas State and Northwestern. The Lions lost those games by a combined 13 points, including an 83-80 overtime loss at Northwestern.
Against Wofford, Columbia trailed by three points at halftime but came out with an offensive burst in the second half, shooting 62 percent from the floor over the final 20 minutes (15 of 24) and 50 percent from three point range (5 of 10). Three Lions reached double figures, led by Alex Rosenberg's 14 points. He made four of six field goal attempts and three of five three point tries. Grant Mullins and Maodo Lo each added 11 points. Lo did not make a three-point field goal against Wofford, but don't let that fool you. The guard set the Columbia school record when he netted his 190th career three pointer in the Lehigh win.
For the season, four Columbia student-athletes are averaging better than 10 points per game, including a team-high 14.4 points per game from Rosenberg. Grant Mullins (13.0 ppg), Lo (12.6 ppg), and Petrasek (12.2 ppg) are also in double figures for the season. Petrasek is the team's top rebounder at 6.6 caroms per contest.
Fairfield comes off one of its best offensive games in school history. The Stags posted a 113-74 decision over UMES behind a career-high 32 points from Marcus Gilbert. He was one of three Stags to reach a career high in the game, joining Jerry Johnson Jr. (19 points) and Matija Milin (11 points) for that distinction. Johnson has bumped his scoring average into double figures based upon his performance over the last two games. After scoring 35 points in those two outings, Johnson Jr. now averages 11.8 points per game. He joins Marcus Gilbert (19.0 ppg) and Tyler Nelson (12.6 ppg) as the team's top three scorers.
Nelson also recorded a career-best with his nine assists, raising his season average to 4.6 per game. He also chipped in with 20 points against UMES, his fourth career 20-point performance. Freshman Jonathan Kasibabu picked up two rebounds in the UMES game, but still remains the team's top rebounder at 6.4 rebounds per contest. Jerome Segura is the team's leader with 29 assists in his five starts, averaging just under six assists per game.
Tickets for the Columbia game are available and can be purchased through the Fairfield University athletic ticket web page or at Alumni Hall prior to the game.
