FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- While statistics may not provide the entire picture, they can certainly form the framework. And the numbers certainly show that the Fairfield University men's basketball team found its stride before taking a two-week break for exams. The Stags won four of their last five contests including a 74-70 victory against Rider on December 4, the last time the team laced up for a game.
Despite the break, Fairfield hopes to carry its momentum into Friday night's match up with Wagner College. The game will be played at Webster Bank Arena beginning at 7 pm. Tickets for the game and all Fairfield University men's basketball games are available at the Webster Bank Arena box office or through ticketmaster.com.
Head Coach Sydney Johnson's offense has showed its potency during this five-game run, scoring 74 or more points in each of those outings. The program has not seen that type of offensive success since the 2005-06 campaign in which that team tallied 70 or more points in eight consecutive games. But to put that in perspective, the 2005-06 team averaged 77.8 points per game during its stretch while this year's edition netted 83.5 points per game over the last five games.
But teams don't win games just with offense, something that every coach preaches night in and night out. Fairfield's high-energy play also bleeds into the defensive side of the court, where it has dominated the boards this year. The Stags lead the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in defensive rebounding (29.1 per game) which reduces the opportunities for second-chance points. At the heart of the team's rebounding success is freshman Jonathan Kasibabu, who is the top rebounding freshman in the MAAC with 6.0 caroms per contest.
The Stags will play their fourth home game of the season and hope to continue its unblemished mark this season, bringing in a 3-0 mark in games played at Webster Bank Arena (2-0) and Alumni Hall (1-0). That's good news for Fairfield fans since the team plays six of its next 10 at home, including a December 22 match up with Loyola University (Md.) at Webster Bank Arena.
Marcus Gilbert leads the team in scoring with 18.3 points per contest. Tyler Nelson is the other Fairfield student-athlete in double figures, netting 12.1 points per game. The sophomore has become better known for his ball-handling capabilities, dishing off 36 assists against just 11 turnovers to place first in the conference and 39th in the country with a +3.27 ratio. Freshman Matija Milin has moved up to the third for scoring, as his 13 points versus Rider raised his average to 9.4 points per contest.
The Seahawks will play their third straight game against a MAAC team after picking up a road win over Rider (65-64) and a road loss to Monmouth (73-54). The victory against Rider was Wagner's first win away from home this season, sporting a perfect 4-0 mark on Staten Island.
The team opened the season with a pair of losses at St. John's and Seton Hall before rallying for five straight victories from November 21-December 6. Wagner plays its third straight road game tonight and still has one left before returning home for a game against UMass Lowell on December 30. The Seahawks started the swing at Rider and Monmouth and finish the trip at George Mason on December 22. After the UMass Lowell game, Wagner gets into Northeast Conference play by heading to St. Francis Pa. and Robert Morris during the first week of January.
Dwaun Anderson averaged 12 points per game against the MAAC schools which should be no surprise to those who follow the program as the guard ranks second among his teammates with a 12.6 scoring average. Corey Henson, who averaged 11 points per game against Rider and Monmouth, paces the offense with 14.9 points per game, and leads the squad with 28 assists in eight games. Michael Carey ranks first for Wagner with 6.9 rebounds per contest and with a .800 free throw percentage (20 of 25).
