FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The 2016-17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference season is underway and the Fairfield University men's basketball team could not have asked for a better start with its road win over Rider. Now, the Stags will concentrate on the final game of this MAAC opening weekend as the team travels to Siena College for a Saturday night match up at the Times Union Center.
The MAAC opening weekend has been good to Head Coach Sydney Johnson and his team, sporting a 7-4 record under his guidance during opening weekend games. Still, the sixth-year head coach knows that this game will offer a whole new set of challenges.
Besides playing in front of the Siena faithful, Fairfield will need to control a lineup that features five double-digit scorers if it has any chance of picking up its second conference win in as many outings. From what they have shown so far, Siena is already in midseason form and ready to play their first MAAC game of the 2016-17 season.
The Saints are the last team in the MAAC to play a conference game. But, Siena will catch up with tonight's game and Monday's match up with Rider. The Saints come off an 81-74 loss to St. Bonaventure on the road despite picking up Brett Bisping's 20th career double-double in the game. The forward notched 23 points and 13 rebounds in the setback, Marquis Wright and Nico Clareth also reached double figures for Siena, netting 18 and 12 points, respectively, in the game. While St. Bonaventure led for most of the contest, the Saints were always within striking distance, constantly applying pressure in the second half. The team has had little trouble scoring points, scoring 70 or more points in five of its seven dates this year.
The Saints balanced scoring attack is well documented, most notably with five student-athletes with double-digit scoring average. Wright maintains the team lead with 19.3 points per game, followed by Clareth's 14.0 scoring average. Javion Ogunyemi (13.7 ppg), Lavon Long (12.3 ppg) and Bisping (10.6 ppg) are also enjoying solid starts offensively.
The Stags built upon their quick non-conference start by improving to 5-1 overall following its 76-67 win at Rider. Fairfield earned its third road of the season and sports the best road record in the MAAC (3-1). The team has scored at least 70 points in all five of its victories this year including three games with 75 or more points scored.
Fairfield jumped out to an early lead against Rider and maintained its edge for most of the game. The Broncs did cut a 15-point deficit down to five points late in the half but Fairfield's free throw shooting kept the home team away from the win. Tyler Nelson posted 38 points to pace the Fairfield offense which raised his scoring average to 20.7 points per game, one of three student-athletes in the MAAC to score 20 or more points per game. Amadou Sidibe registered his third straight double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds against the Broncs, improving his rebounding average to 11.0 which ranks first in the MAAC. Curtis Cobb (14.3 ppg) and Jerome Segura (10.3 ppg) have also contributed offensively all season long.
