WESTERN NEW YORK ROUND 2
Fairfield University Men's Basketball concludes the MAAC's "Buffalo Trip" on Sunday, Jan. 4 at Niagara. Opening tip-off from the Gallagher Center is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT
Fairfield was on the short side on 85-81 contest on Friday afternoon at Canisius.
Declan Wucherpfennig netted a team-best 20 points and
Brandon Benjamin posted his sixth double-double of the season to lead four Stags in double figures in the MAAC road outing.
The 20-point day for Wucherpfennig matched his career high as the rookie forward shot 9-for-14 from the floor, knocking down of his attempts from three-point range. Benjamin had 19 points and corralled 13 rebounds, including seven from the offensive glass, to pace the Stags to a 42-35 advantage on the boards.
Braden Sparks was fueled by two four-point plays and 7-for-7 day from the free throw line to finish with 13 points.
Cam Estevez was the fourth Stag in double figures with 10 points in a reserve role.
Also contributing off the bench was
Eric Mejia, who filled out his statline with seven points, six assists, and four rebounds.
Tony Williams had five points,
Halon Rawlins netted four to go along with his seven boards, and
Deuce Turner scored three points to cap the Fairfield scoring.
COACH CASEY ON CANISIUS
"We needed to be better on the defensive end. Getting stops and getting out in transition allows us to play the way we want to play offensively. Credit to Canisius, they got out to an early lead and were able to control the majority of the action playing from in front."
THE NIAGARA UNIVERSITY PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara is coming off of its first MAAC victory of the season with a 64-61 buzzer-beating triumph over Sacred Heart. The Purple Eagles are 4-9 overall, also owning wins over Binghamton, Delaware State, and Division III Houghton.
Niagara's MAAC losses came on the road to Siena and Saint Peter's. Notable non-league setbacks include a visit to Duke and a 68-74 loss at Le Moyne, who the Stags defeated in Syracuse on Nov. 22.
Justin Page is the lone Purple Eagle scoring in double figures at 11.8 points per game. Trenton Walters, who returned to the lineup on Friday after a five-game absence, averages 9.8 points per outing.
US AND THEM
Niagara leads the all-time series by a 49-38 count. The Stags won the most recent meeting last January at Mahoney Arena but have dropped seven of the last eight encounters with the Purple Eagles in Western New York.
ROOKIE REBOUNDERS
Brandon Benjamin and
Declan Wucherpfennig rank first and second in MAAC with 10.0 and 8.1 boards per game, respectively. They are also first and third in offensive rebounds per game, with Benjamin corralling 4.36 (sixth in the nation) and Wucherpfennig pulling in 3.00.
BOARDS ARE JUST THE BEGINNING
Brandon Benjamin averages 13.9 points per game to go along with his MAAC-best 10.0 rebounds per outing. He is one of 16 total players and only four true freshmen in the nation currently averaging a double-double.
The four-time MAAC Rookie of the Week also ranks second the conference in field goal percentage (.587) and blocked shots (1.50/game). He leads the league with six double-doubles.
1K AND COUNTING
With 22 points on Monday against Saint Peter's,
Braden Sparks eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his collegiate career. To date, Sparks has scored 1,025 collegiate points – 55 in 2022-23 at Mercer, 394 in 2023-24 at Indian Hills C.C., and 576 and counting in the past two campaigns as a Stag.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Stags have started four true freshmen (Benjamin, Rawlins, Williams, Wucherpfennig) in three games this season. To date, no other Division I team has reported a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen this season.
FRIDAY NIGHT AT MAHONEY
A rare single-game week awaits the Stags when they return to Mahoney Arena to host Rider on Friday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m.
