FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Before a near-record crowd of 3,565 fans at Leo D. Mahoney Arena, Fairfield University Men's Basketball completed a home-and-home sweep of crosstown foe Sacred Heart with a 78-68 victory on Friday evening. Braden Sparks scored a game-high 21 points, and the rookie frontcourt duo of Brandon Benjamin and Declan Wucherpfennig each posted a double-double.
 
With the win, the Stags improve to 17-11 on the season and 9-8 in MAAC play. The victory officially clinches Fairfield's berth in the upcoming MAAC Championship in Atlantic City.
 
Sacred Heart slips to 12-17 on the campaign with an 8-10 conference mark.
 
The standing-room only crowd of 3,565 fans is the second largest Fairfield Men's Basketball crowd in the four-year history of Mahoney Arena, eclipsed only by the crowd of 3,605 at the Feb. 5, 2023 game against Iona. Tonight also marked the 10th time that more than 3,000 fans were in attendance for a Stags' men's basketball game.
 
"The energy in the Arena was great. I was really excited about the fan base that was here," said Head Coach Chris Casey. "The energy is always great in this building, but especially with those students here. They did a great job of energizing us."
 
Sparks' 21 points included a 5-for-9 performance from three-point range along with three assists for the senior guard. Benjamin scored 18 points and pulled in 10 rebounds for his MAAC-best 14th double-double of the season. Wucherpfennig had 10 points and 10 boards to notch a double-double for the seventh time in his rookie campaign.
 
Joining that trio in double figures was Eric Mejia, who had a team-best 11 of the Stags' 23 bench points. Deuce Turner pitched in seven points – all in the game's final 10 minutes to help close out the effort – and dished out four assists.
 
Halon Rawlins added six points for the Stags, including a key corner three early in the second dhalf. Ryan Zan knocked down a trey to finish with three points, and Isaac Munkadi had two. Tony Williams did not factor into the scoring but matched Turner for the team high with four assists.
 
The Stags overcame a double-digit deficit en route to victory for the second time this season, as Sacred Heart led by as many as 10 points in the first half.  The last instance came at 30-20 before a Zan three-pointer cut into the margin 5:34 left in the period. Sparks added a three-pointer and Wucherpfennig contributed a pair of buckets during the first stretch before the intermission, sending the Stags to the locker room faced with a more manageable 37-32 score.
 
After the break, the Stags needed just over three minutes to surge to a lead that they would not relinquish. Four quick Benjamin points closed the gap to just one at 37-36. After a Sacred Heart bucket, Wucherpfennig split a pair of free throws and, after a stop, Sparks canned a three-pointer that put the Stags in front, 40-39.

The run continued with a Williams steal and feed to Benjamin for a dunk that induced a quick Pioneers' timeout. Out the of the stoppage, Halon Rawlins buried a triple to double the advantage to 45-39, and the Stags played from in front the rest of the way. A nine-point run featuring a Turner three-pointer and then back-to-back treys by Sparks widen the gap to its largest at 64-49 with 7:26 to go, and Fairfield stayed in front by double figures for the remainder of the game to see out the 78-68 final.
 
Dashon Gittens led Sacred Heart with 16 points and eight rebounds.
 
Fairfield Men's Basketball is back in action on Sunday, Feb. 22 for a 2 p.m. outing at Quinnipiac. The Bobcats, who did not play on Friday, are 18-10 on the season and 11-6 in conference play.

The final weekend of the regular season at Mahoney Arena will pit the Stags against Siena on Friday, Feb. 27 and The Mount on Sunday, March 1. Tickets are on sale now at FairfieldStags.com/TIX.