FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- At this time of the year, games come fast on the schedule. The Fairfield University men's basketball team is the midst of playing four games in 10 days after enduring a run of five games in 12 days earlier. But at least this current run comes at home and started successfully with a win against Marist over the weekend.
The home stand continues when the Stags host Manhattan College on Tuesday night at the Webster Bank Arena. Game time is slated for 7 pm. The game will complete the two-game season series between these two programs with Fairfield winning the first meeting in New York on January 5. Manhattan brings an 8-15 overall record into the game and a 3-9 mark in MAAC play.
The Jaspers made their annual trek to upstate New York last week and came away with a two-game split against Canisius and Niagara. The team opened the trip with a 70-69 victory against Niagara behind Calvin Crawford's 18 points and five rebounds. Manhattan was edged by Canisius in the second game of the journey, falling 78-64 as freshman Na'Quan Council led all Jasper scorers with 14 points. Council enjoyed a solid week in the Buffalo area, averaging 13.5 points per game in the two outings. He posted a career-best 13 points against the Purple Eagles before following up with another personal-best 14 points versus the Golden Griffs.
Ahmed Ismail garnered a double-double against the Griffs with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The win over Niagara completed a season sweep of the series for Manhattan, and represents two of the team's last three victories. Zavier Turner and Zane Waterman are the team's top two scorers for the season, averaging 15.7 and 13.8 points, respectively. Waterman ranks as the leading rebounder among his teammates with 6.7 per game, including a seven at Canisius.
The Stags started their four-game home stand with a 72-62 come-from-behind win, the third time this season that Fairfield overcame a halftime deficit to win a game. The team also accomplished the task against Wagner and Army West Point in November. Trailing by six points at intermission, Fairfield used a 24-6 run to erase that deficit and build its own double-digit lead midway through the second half. Tyler Nelson and Curtis Cobb provided the offense in the win, netting 21 and 20 points, respectively. Jonathan Kasibabu anchored the team on the defensive side of the court with nine rebounds and four blocks in addition to his six points.
Nelson raised his team-leading scoring average to 19.1 points per game, followed by Cobb's 14.3 points per game and Jerry Johnson Jr.'s 11.2 points per contest. Amadou Sidibe remains nationally ranked in rebounding, placing 20th with 10.3 rebounds every forty minutes.
