Programming Note: Tonight's game will be televised on the Time Warner Cable Sports Channel in New York (check local listings) and streamed on ESPN3 outside of New York. The pay-per-view live stream on Siena All-Access and the free live audio stream on WVOF are available nationwide.
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- With the non-conference schedule tucked away, the Fairfield University men's basketball team returns its focus to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) season. And, the Stags will be totally immersed into MAAC play over the next five days, playing two road games and one home game by Monday night.
The stretch begins on Thursday evening when the team heads to the Times Union Center for a 7 pm match up with Siena College. After that, Fairfield will head to Rider University on January 9 for a 7pm tip before Monmouth University comes to Webster Bank Arena on Monday, January 11 for a key conference contest.
The Stags are coming off a 97-85 win over Dartmouth which marked the third time in the last four games that they scored at least 90 points. Over that four-game run, Fairfield averaged 89,5 points per game. For the season, Fairfield is averaging 80.4 points per game which ranks 52nd in Division I. Fairfield's ability to make the three-point shot has been instrumental in the team's offensive success. The Stags average 9.8 three pointers per game which places third in the MAAC and 23rd in the nation.
The Stags are also hitting these offensive marks with a collective effort as three student-athletes reached the 20-point mark against Dartmouth. Marcus Gilbert led the way with 21 points while Tyler Nelson and Jerry Johnson Jr. each netted 20 points in the game. All three student-athletes are averaging 10 or more points for the season with Gilbert leading the way at 19.5 ppg followed by Nelson (14.5 ppg) and Johnson Jr. (10.1 ppg).
Gilbert moved up to 39th in the nation with a 19.5 scoring average, a number helped by the fact that he has averaged 21.7 points per game since missing the Rider and Wagner games. Freshman Curtis Cobb improved his scoring average to 8.5 after he tied his career high with 16 points against the Big Green. Cobb rates as the team's most accurate three-point shooter, checking into tonight's game with a .404 percentage behind the arc.
Siena comes off a 92-87 setback in triple overtime at Manhattan, the team's third overtime game this year (2-1 overall). The Manhattan point total was an uncharacteristic high number allowed by the Saints. In their last seven games before Manhattan, the Saints yielded just 67.7 points per game during that stretch. Siena went 5-2 in those games, a run which started with an 89-54 win over the Jaspers.
Javion Ogunyemi has stepped into the role of leading scorer, averaging 14.3 points per game. He is one of four players scoring 10 or more points per game, a list which includes Brett Bisping (13.9 ppg), Lavon Long (11.7 ppg), and Nico Clareth (10.0 ppg). Bisping enters the game as the top rebounder in the MAAC with 8.7 per contest. Long has also contributed defensively with 18 steals i his 15 appearances, second only to Wright's 25 steals. The Saints continue to be a tough home team, posting a 6-0 record at the Times Union Center which gives the program a 26-15 mark at home under Coach Patsos.
These two teams will meet for the 65th team with Siena owning a 34-30 edge in the series history that began during the 1958-59 season. Fairfield has won six of the last 10 meetings in the series.
