FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Fairfield University Men's Basketball returns to Leo D. Mahoney Arena this Friday, Jan. 9 to host MAAC foe Rider. Opening tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+ with the Hall of Fame duo of Bob Heussler and Joe DeSantis '79 calling the action.
LIL' STAGS CLUB NIGHT
Lil' Stags Club members receive free admission. All Lil' Stags Club members must claim their free tickets in advance. Instructions will be emailed to members directly. Register for the Lil' Stags Club, the official Fairfield Athletics Kids Club,
here.
LAST TIME OUT
Brandon Benjamin scored a game-high and new career-best 23 points, and
Deuce Turner scored 12 of his 17 after halftime to lead Fairfield to an 83-75 victory on Sunday afternoon at Niagara. Four Stags scored in double figures with a total of nine players contributing to the scoring in the MAAC road victory.
Braden Sparks was also a big part of the Stags' second half, netting 11 of his 15 after the break.
Declan Wucherpfennig was the fourth Stag in double figures with 12 points, and the freshman also collected seven rebounds as Fairfield earned a 31-24 advantage on the glass.
Rounding out the scoring,
Tony Williams had five points,
Halon Rawlins scored four,
Cam Estevez tallied three, and the duo of
Eric Mejia and
Isaac Munkadi scored two points apiece.
As a unit, the Stags shot 29-for-57 (.50.9%) from the field, 6-for-16 (37.5%) from three-point range and 19-for-21 (season-best 90.5%) from the charity stripe. The Fairfield offense had its highest scoring and best shooting MAAC game of the season, and also tied an overall season best with only five turnovers in Sunday's triumph.
COACH CASEY ON NIAGARA
"A key to today was that we got solid contributions from everybody. We need that level of production and energy from everybody that checks into the game to be successful as we continue on in conference play."
GOT 'EM AT GALLAGHER
Sunday's victory was the first road win for
Chris Casey at Niagara's Gallagher Center. Previously the head coach of the Purple Eagles from 2013-19, Casey is 1-1 in that venue as the leader of the Stags and now owns at least one win at every current MAAC home court as a collegiate head coach.
THE RIDER UNIVERSITY BRONCS
Rider comes to Mahoney Arena seeking its first MAAC victory and first Division I win of the 2025-26 campaign. The Broncs are 1-12 on the season, enduring a non-conference schedule that included visits to Virginia, Rutgers, Texas, Houston, and reigning A-10 Champion VCU.
In MAAC play, Rider's 0-4 mark includes one-possession losses to Merrimack and Manhattan as well as setbacks at the hands of Quinnipiac and Siena.
Flash Burton and Zion Cruz head the Rider scoring with 11.7 and 11.5 points per game, respectively. Caleb Smith and Shemani Fuller are both pulling down 6.5 rebounds per outing.
US AND THEM
Fairfield has swept the home-and-home series from Rider in each of the last two seasons to improve to 41-36 all-time against the Broncs. Overall, the Stags won seven of the last nine meetings.
ROOKIE REBOUNDERS
Brandon Benjamin and
Declan Wucherpfennig rank first and second in MAAC with 9.9 and 8.0 boards per game, respectively. They are also first and fourth in offensive rebounds per game, with Benjamin corralling 4.27 (fifth in the nation) and Wucherpfennig pulling in 2.88.
BOARDS ARE JUST THE BEGINNING
Brandon Benjamin averages 14.5 points per game, ranking 10th in the league, to go along with his MAAC-best 9.9 rebounds per outing. He is one board shy of averaging a double-double.
The four-time MAAC Rookie of the Week also ranks second the conference in field goal percentage (.595) and blocked shots (1.60/game). He shares the league lead of six double-doubles with the reigning MAAC Player of the Year, Quinnipiac's Amarri Monroe.
LET THE SPARKS FLY
Braden Sparks is the MAAC's leading scorer at 17.9 points per game. The senior tri-captain of the Stags is also second in the MAAC and ranks 33rd nationally in three-pointers per game (3.13) and also slots second in the conference and 24th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.442).
Sparks has scored 20 or more points in eight games this season, including three of five MAAC games to date and six of his last nine contests overall.
THREE-GAME WEEK COMING UP
The Stags will enjoy a bye on Sunday before diving into a stretch of three games in six days beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at Mahoney Arena against Manhattan.
The stretch also includes road games at Marist on Jan. 17 and Siena on Jan. 19.
