FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- After a season-opening win last Friday, the Fairfield University men's basketball team will make its first road trip of the season when it heads to Dartmouth College for a Tuesday night game. The Stags will play the first of two games against Ivy League foes, the second of which comes on December 30 at Penn.
Tonight marks the third meeting between Fairfield and Dartmouth with the Stags holding a 3-0 lead in a series which started during the 1984-85 season. The series opened in Hanover, N.H. before switching to the Nutmeg State for the last two meetings. In last year's meeting, the Stags picked up a win in Alumni Hall with its 97-85 decision over the Big Green. Fairfield shot 68 percent from the floor in the second half (17 of 25) and scored 56 points to inflate its three-point halftime lead into the 12-point win. Three Fairfield student-athletes reached the 20-point mark with Marcus Gilbert leading the way with 21 points. Starter Tyler Nelson and reserve Jerry Johnson Jr. followed with 20 points each.
The Big Green opened the 2016-17 season with an 84-61 loss to nationally-ranked Rhode Island on the road. Evan Boudreaux began the season in strong fashion with a double-double, registering 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Guilien Smith added 13 points to the Dartmouth cause.
The setback spoiled the debut of Head Coach David McLaughlin, who came to Hanover after serving as an associate head coach at Northeastern. McLaughlin has enjoyed New England ties for nearly two decades, serving as the head coach of Stonehill for 10 seasons. The fact that Dartmouth graduated six seniors would stop the hearts of most fans, but the loss of personnel included just one starter.
Part of the reason for the upbeat attitude is that the last two Ivy League Rookies of the Year hail from Dartmouth, namely Miles Wright (2014-15) and Boudreaux (2015-16). Wright's explosive nature is illustrated by the 39 points scored against LIU Brooklyn last November. Boudreaux can dominate similarly on the boards, securing 18 caroms in a game against Cornell.
The Stags opened up with a victory for the fifth time in Head Coach Sydney Johnson's six seasons at the helm, knocking of Sacred Heart University by an 85-63 margin at Webster Bank Arena.
The Stags' offense featured five student-athletes who netted 10 or more points in the game, led by Curtis Cobb's 26 points. There was another Stag who reached double figures in another category as Jerome Segura dished off 10 assists and completed his double-double with 17 points. Jonathan Kasibabu, who led the Stags in rebounding last season with 5.9 per game, picked up where he left off by registering a team-best eight caroms against the Pioneers.
Fairfield led for most of the game, holding an advantage for just under 38 of the 40-minute game. The Pioneers scored the first points of the game for their first lead and recaptured the lead at 5-4 before Cobb gave Fairfield the lead for good at 9-7 with 17 minutes remaining in the first half. Fairfield led by double figures for the final 13 minutes of the game. The Stags' starters, who combined for 72 of the team's 85 points, shot 58 percent from the floor (30 of 52).
