FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- For the third time in five days, the Fairfield University men's basketball team will take the court for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) game. The Stags will welcome Monmouth University on Monday night at Webster Bank Arena with tip-off scheduled for 7 pm. The game will be broadcast on SNY (check local listings) and ESPN3.
This game features two of the top three scorers in the MAAC, namely Monmouth's Justin Robinson and Fairfield's Marcus Gilbert. Robinson places second in the conference with a 20.5 scoring average while Gilbert ranks third at 19.5 points per contest. Khallid Hart of Marist leads the MAAC with 21.7 points every forty minutes.
Fairfield picked up its third road win overall and first in MAAC play with its 69-64 decision over Rider University last Saturday, completing a two-game season sweep of the Broncs. The team moved above the .500 mark with the victory and surpassed the win totals of the 2013-14 and 2014-15 teams (seven wins each season).
The Stags enjoyed their best defensive effort of the season by allowing just 64 points against Rider and kept the Broncs under 40 percent from the field. Fairfield registered eight steals in the game, the fifth straight game in which the squad picked up at least seven or more steals. Over the last five games, the Stags are averaging 9.1 steals per game highlighted by a season-high 14 steals at Bucknell. Jerome Segura. Curtis Cobb, and Tyler Nelson each picked up nine steals during the stretch. Fairfield places fourth in the MAAC with 6.7 steals per game.
Fairfield has two more student-athletes in the MAAC's top 30 for scoring, namely Tyler Nelson (12th, 15.1 ppg) and Jerry Johnson Jr. (30th, 9.6 ppg). While that trio is scoring points, Jerome Segura is setting up the scorers. The sophomore places second in the MAAC with 5.6 assists per game, which also ranks nationally. When not scoring, Nelson is also dishing off assists, ranking eighth with 3.4 per contest. Gilbert also became the team's top rebounder with 5.3 per game, eclipsing Jonathan Kasibabu who currently averages 4.8 per contest.
The Hawks come off an 88-74 win over Quinnipiac in front of a sellout crowd. Monmouth has won its last two games and seven of its last eight contests. Chris Brady registered his first career double-double while Micah Seaborn netted a personal-best 20 points in the victory. Brady also tallied career highs with his 16 points and 13 rebounds. Monmouth never trailed in the second half and only allowed the Bobcats to come within a point just once over the final 20 minutes. The Hawks opened the game with 12 straight points and closed the half by going on an 8-2 run that allowed the team to grab a 37-35 advantage at intermission.
Justin Robinson leads the team in scoring at 20.5 points per game, one of two student-athletes in the MAAC averaging more than 20 points per game. He joins Khalid Hart of Marist who averages 21.7 points per contest. Robinson has 99 field goals in his 15 appearances, more than any other player in the MAAC. Seaborn is also ranked in the MAAC, placing 21st with a 12.5 scoring average. Brady among the MAA leaders in rebounding as his 13 caroms against Quinnipiac raised his average to 6.4 caroms per contest which places 11th in the conference. Deon Jones is the team leader with 7.9 rebounds per game, a number which ranks second in the MAAC.
