THE OPENING TIP
Fairfield University Men's Basketball continues a six-game homestand on Saturday when Niagara makes the trek from Western New York to Webster Bank Arena. The action tips off on ESPN3 at 1 p.m. with Bob Heussler and Joe DeSantis on the call.
 
CITY OF BRIDGEPORT COMMUNITY DAY
All city of Bridgeport residents receive discounted tickets at the ticket window on gameday with valid proof of residency. Youth fans (12 and under) accompanied by an adult Bridgeport resident do not need to provide proof of residency.
 
LIL' STAGS BRING-A-FRIEND DAY
All Lil' Stags Club members receive free youth admission for themselves AND a friend. A Lil' Stags Club membership lanyard must be presented to redeem. Lil' Stags and friend must both be in eighth grade or younger for free admission.

• Webster Bank Arena Box Office – The Box Office is a preferred cashless site. Single game tickets for all Fairfield home games can be purchased in advance at fairfieldstags.com/basketballtix.
• Webster Bank Arena Concessions – All food and beverage vendors will be cashless including the bar inside the Stags Club. All major credit cards are accepted.
• Parking – Parking garage and lots surrounding Webster Bank Arena accept cash only on gameday
• FREE Student Tickets – Admission is free for current Fairfield University students by presenting a valid StagCard
• FREE Student Shuttle – A student shuttle will run continuously from the BCC traffic circle to Webster Bank Arena beginning at noon and running through the end of the women's game.
• $5 Student Parking – Fairfield students with a StagCard can park in any of outdoor lots surrounding Webster Bank Arena for only $5 (cash only).
• Covid-19 Policy – Per the city of Bridgeport, all spectators are required to wear masks at all times while inside Webster Bank Arena unless actively eating or drinking.

LAST TIME OUT
Fairfield fell behind early against visiting Quinnipiac on Wednesday at Webster Bank Arena, facing a double-digit deficit at the midpoint of the first half. And while the Stags would put together several spurts to keep the contest in reach, they ultimately played from behind the rest of the way as the Bobcats left Bridgeport with a 69-60 decision. Supreme Cook led Fairfield from the post with 10 points and a career-best 16 rebounds along with a career-high four blocked shots.
 
The scoring was paced by TJ Long, who shot 3-for-4 from three-point range off the bench on his way to scoring 11 of the Stags' 26 bench points.
 
THE NIAGARA UNIVERSITY PURPLE EAGLES AT A GLANCE
An 80-71 win over previously-unbeaten Iona on Sunday marked the third victory in a three-game winning streak for Niagara to even their record at 11-11 overall and move to 6-7 in the MAAC. The prior two games in the run saw the Purple Eagles oust Monmouth and Manhattan, both in overtime.
 
Niagara is led offensively by Marcus Hammond, the MAAC's second-leading scorer with 18.3 points per game. As a unit, the Purple Eagles rank eighth in the MAAC in scoring at 68.9 points per game. Their defense slots at third in the conference this season with 66.5 points allowed per contest.
 
LAST MEETING: FAIRFIELD 81, NIAGARA 71 (12/5/21 in Niagara University, N.Y.)
Fairfield turned a 31-24 deficit late in the first half in a double-digit lead early in the second frame and never looked back en route to an 81-71 victory on Dec. 5, 2021 at Niagara. Caleb Green and Zach Crisler paced the Stags' offense with 16 and 14 points, respectively, in the MAAC road win.
 
Green and Crisler were two of four Stags in double figures. Taj Benning netted 13 points and Jesus Cruz scored all 11 of his tallies in the first half to help facilitate the late Fairfield surge into the lead that they would not relinquish.
 
Rounding out the scoring, Chris Maidoh shot 4-for-4 from down low to total eight points, Jake Wojcik had seven, and the duo of Supreme Cook and TJ Long each netted six.
 
The Stags battled their opponents to the deadlock on the boards, 31-31. Benning and Wojcik each collected five rebounds and Cook nabbed four boards.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
The win in Western New York in December trimmed the Purple Eagles' lead in the all-time series to 45-36 since 1966. Each team has put together a six-game streak in the series, with Niagara winning a half-dozen in a row from 1991-93, and the Stags winning six consecutively from 2010-12.
 
The Stags most recently swept the season series in 2015-16 and 2016-17. The series was a split the following year, but Fairfield took the vital rubber match in the MAAC Championship Quarterfinals en route to a Championship Game appearance.
 
With both of last season's meetings being held on back-to-back days at Niagara, and the Purple Eagles visiting Alumni Hall on their trip to Connecticut in both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 campaigns, Saturday's game will be the first meeting in the series at Webster Bank Arena since the 2017-18 season.
 
COOK CLEANS UP
Supreme Cook pulled down a career-best 16 rebounds on Wednesday against Quinnipiac, the most for a Stag since Amadou Sidibe collected 19 boards in a win over Army on Nov. 26, 2016. In addition, his eight offensive rips tied his career high set in the Dec. 8 win over Holy Cross.
 
UP NEXT
The Stags' stretch of six straight homes and eight games in 17 days continues this Monday with a Valentine's Day visit from Canisius. Tip-off from Webster Bank Arena is slated for 7 p.m.