FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The past will meet the present on Saturday afternoon when the Fairfield University men's basketball program will celebrate two of its NCAA tournament teams as part of its game with Marist College. The game will tip off at 1 pm with the celebration taking place at halftime.
The Red Foxes start the day with a 6-15 overall record and a 3-7 MAAC mark following 81-65 home loss to Saint Peter's. Marist has lost its last two games after picking up 93-87 win at Niagara behind 31 points from Khallid Hart. Each of the team's last two victories have come in overtime, also needing extra time to defeat Manhattan 90-88 at home.
Hart was also the team's top scorer in the win over the Jaspers, netting 21 points in the contest. He has been the team's leading scorer in six of the team's last seven games, averaging 21 points per game (147 total points) during that stretch. Hart registers a team-best 17.3 points per game which also places him in a fifth-place tie among the MAAC scoring leaders.
Brian Parker and Ryan Funk are also averaging in double figures at 12.6 and 12.1 points, respectively. Parker, who has led the team in scoring in two games this year, represents the team's best rebounder with his 6.1 average. Funk is most effective from behind the three-point arc, ranking second among MAAC student-athletes with 54 three pointers (2.8 pg). After today's game, the Red Foxes will play three of their next four games at home.
The Stags enter today's game with an 8-10 overall record and a 3-6 MAAC slate following its setback at Monmouth last weekend. Fairfield begins a four-game home stand that includes Manhattan (January 31), Niagara (February 2), and Quinnpiac (February 6). The team stayed close through the first 10 minutes of the Monmouth game, falling behind by six points early. The Stags rallied to tie the score at 12-12 before back-to-back three pointers pushed Monmouth into the lead for good at 18-12 with 12 minutes left in the half.
Amadou Sidibe secured 10 rebounds against Monmouth, his fourth double-digit rebounding effort in the last five games. The forward is averaging 11 rebounds per game (55 rebounds) during that time, highlighted by his 10 points and 14 rebounds against Siena. Sidibe has 10 or more rebounds in 10 of his 18 appearances this year.
Two Stags reached double figures in the Monmouth game, namely Tyler Nelson and Thomas Nolan who each scored 11 points. For Nolan, his point total represented a personal-best in his first carer start. Nelson enters the game with a MAAC-leading 19.0 scoring average.
