As the team broke huddle, senior guard Jon Han walked past his teammates and towards the court, his face was telling a story of concentration.
A year ago, under such circumstances, Han may have been excitable and frenzied. But on this night, Han walked with a purpose.
‘As I stepped onto the court, I could see in everyone’s eyes that they were ready for the game,’ Han said.
‘Our whole mindset going into this game was that we wanted to impose our will,’ head coach Ed Cooley said.
Fairfield did just that, as the Stags bounced back from a season-opening loss against No. 12 Memphis and ousted crosstown rival Sacred Heart, 70-54, in front of 4,959 raucous fans at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
‘That was exciting,’ head coach Ed Cooley said of the crowd. ‘We need this building to rock like it did tonight.
‘That felt like home court tonight,’ he said.
Warren Edney built off of a 24-point outing in the team’s first game with 14 points against the Pioneers. His fellow forwards, junior Greg Nero and Anthony Johnson, also totaled double-digit points in the win.
The Stags demonstrated newfound depth at the position, in part due to the presence of senior Mike Evanovich and freshman Ryan Olander as reliable options off of the bench.
‘I definitely think we executed our plan defensively and offensively,’ Cooley said. ‘We wanted to play inside-out. We wanted to make sure that our big guys touched the ball and I think because of that we controlled the game.’
Fairfield’s frontcourt was equally impressive defensively, outrebounding the Pioneers, 41-35, and limiting the team’s scoring chances in the paint.
‘They handled us,’ said Sacred Heart head coach Dave Bike. ‘They really pushed us out of position. We couldn’t play our game from the start.’
Junior guard Herbie Allen bounced back from a difficult season-opener, scoring eight points in 27 minutes and flashing his ability to score in transition.
‘Coach told me to be more aggressive,’ Allen said. ‘I tried to come out and play with more energy than tonight.’
Allen also limited Sacred Heart’s Chauncey Hardy, the team’s premier perimeter scoring threat, to three points on two of eight shooting.
‘Today, we showed more alertness defensively, and I think that playing Memphis gave us that level of confidence and that level of toughness,’ Cooley said.
That toughness will be put to the test again, as the Stags travel to Puerto Rico to take part in the inaugural O’Reilly’s Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off, which begins this Thursday in San Juan.
In addition to Memphis and Virgina Tech, whom the Stags draw as their first-round opponent on Nov. 20, the Tip-Off also includes several other impressive teams, including Southern California, Seton Hall, Xavier and Missouri.
‘We’re very excited, and I think it’s a great opportunity for our kids,’ Cooley said. ‘I think it is a tougher field than the [EA Sports Maui Invitational], and Maui is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country.
‘It’s definitely one of the best tournaments in the country,’ Han said.
Despite a quick turnover ‘- the team departs for San Juan just hours after the Sacred Heart game – and a stretch of five games in nine days, Cooley was quick to dispel the idea that fatigue may play a factor in their performance in the tournament.
‘I think it is a test of our will again,’ Cooley said. ‘I don’t want us to be mentally tired. Our legs may be a little wobbly, but we want to go there to get better. It’s uphill; nobody knows who Fairfield is in Puerto Rico.’
Despite the momentum of a victory over Sacred Heart, the Stags are quick to temper expectations heading into the tournament. All but two teams that comprise the fields of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off qualified for postseason play a season ago, three of which played in the NCAA tournament.
In addition, with the exception of Xavier and Tennessee-Chatanooga, all five other teams on the schedule play in major conferences.
‘We have yet to play a bad five-on-five outing since we began the season, but our fans need to be patient with the tournament we are playing in,’ Cooley said. ‘Do I expect to win? Absolutely. We’re going to go there and do everything we can to get our W.’
‘But if that doesn’t happen, we need another building like we had tonight,’ Cooley said.
Leave a Reply