CONFERENCE CALL
Fairfield University Men's Basketball takes the annual December dip into MAAC play with a Friday, Dec. 5 visit to Manhattan. Opening tip-off at Draddy Gymnasium is set for 7 p.m. with Eddy Occhipinti and Chris "Smooth" Williams calling the action on ESPN+.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Faced with a 10-point halftime deficit on Sunday against visiting New Hampshire, Fairfield held the Wildcats to just 23 points after the intermission, surging to a 72-68 victory. Braden Sparks scored a game-high 22 points, and the rookie duo of Brandon Benjamin and Declan Wucherpfennig each recorded a double-double.
 
After conceding 45 points on 62.1% shooting from the field in the first half, the Stags clamped down to allow on 23 points on six total field goals for the Wildcats (18.8%) after the break.
 
Offensively, Sparks was an efficient 7-for-9 from the floor with five three-pointers on his way to 22 points. The senior also corralled five rebounds with three assists and two steals.
 
Benjamin scored 16 points with 10 rebounds to record his second career double-double and also blocked four shots. Wucherpfennig had 12 points and a career-best 14 boards to post his first double-double as a Stag.
 
Cam Estevez came off the bench and filled out his statline with eight points, five rebounds, and four assists.
 
COACH CASEY ON NEW HAMPSHIRE
"We did a really good job of defending in the second half, and we didn't in the first half. And it wasn't really a case of a lot of adjustments. It was more so that we kicked it up a notch defensively, which we needed to do to win the game."
 
THE MANHATTAN UNIVERSITY JASPERS
Manhattan enters MAAC play with a record of 3-5. The Jaspers are 1-1 at Draddy Gymnasium with a win over Division III St. Joseph's Brooklyn and an overtime loss to Wagner. Manhattan has also picked up road losses at USC, Texas A&M and Army, and went 2-1 at the Rainbow Classic, posting wins over Utah Tech and Mississippi Valley State and a loss to the host Wahine.
 
The Jaspers are averaging over 83 points per game with five players scoring in double figures. The backcourt tandem of Devin Dinkins and Jaden Winston lead that effort at 15.3 and 14.6 points per outing, respectively.
 
US AND THEM
After last season's split, Manhattan holds a 61-57 lead in an all-time series that dates back to 1954. The Stags have won the meeting at Draddy Gymnasium in each of the last two seasons.
 
STAGS IN THE DECEMBER DROP-IN
The Stags have split the opening weekend of MAAC play in three straight years and have won at least one end of the two-game stretch in six consecutive seasons.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
Fairfield is one four teams playing on the road for both of its MAAC games this weekend. Joining the Stags as the league's December road warriors are Canisius, Niagara, and Rider.

The last time the Stags opened MAAC play with back-to-back road games was in 2021-22, when Fairfield swept a weekend in Western New York.
 
NOVEMBER REIGN
With the victory over New Hampshire last Sunday, the Stags won five games in the month of November for the first time in program history.
 
DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Brandon Benjamin and Declan Wucherpfennig are the first Fairfield teammates to each record a double-double in the same game since March 10, 2021, when Taj Benning (24 pts., 12 rebs.) and Supreme Cook (11 pts., 14 rebs.) led the Stags to a MAAC Championship Semifinal win over Monmouth.
 
POST PRESENCE
Brandon Benjamin currently leads the MAAC in rebounds per game (9.3), offensive rebounds per game (4.13), and blocked shots per game (1.88). He is also one of six MAAC players to have posted two double-doubles thus far in 2025-26.
 
On the national leaderboards, Benjamin ranks third among all freshmen in offensive rebounds, sixth in total rebounds, and seven in blocked shots. In addition, his .594 field goal percentage rates fourth among all rookies in the nation and is good for second overall in the MAAC.
 
SHIPPIN' UP PAST BOSTON
The Stags close out the weekend this Sunday, Dec. 7 with a 1 p.m. outing at Merrimack. The Warriors, who host Rider on Thursday evening, start the week with a record of 3-6.