Men’s basketball senior Mamadou Diakhate has “it.” He has what Head Coach Ed Cooley has been missing since Diakhate was sidelined with a concussion on Nov. 28 at St. Francis.
Two games prior to the injury, Diakhate scored 12 points in the Stags’ win against Sacred Heart, improving their record to 3-2 overall.
“Mamadou has it,” said Cooley. “No one has defined it in sports yet. It is an intangible that every coach loves and if you can define it, let me know, because I’ll buy stock in it.”
To See Mamadou’s Official Stag Profile, Click Here
Without Diakhate in the lineup, Fairfield lost the next five games of the season. The team record dropped to 8-14 before his return to action on Friday night at Manhattan.
Diakhate helped lead the Stags to two victories over the weekend, and they improved to 10-14 overall (8-6 MAAC).
Despite playing just seven minutes and scoring only three points, Diakhate played a major role in the Stags’ 66-61 victory over the Jaspers.
Trailing 47-35, Cooley brought Diakhate off the bench for his first action in over two months, and he immediately made an impact.
He played Devin Austin tight, waving his hands in Austin’s face. Austin started to drive, throwing his elbow into Diakhate’s face in the process. As Diakhate flopped to the ground, the referee blew his whistle and called an offensive foul, giving the Stags the ball back.
From there, Fairfield went on a 21-4 run to take control of the game and secure a major win.
“That was the play of the game – once he came in, he really gave us a lot of energy,” said Cooley. “When he is on the floor, we play with a different level of toughness and understanding.”
Cooley gave Diakhate more playing time, 16 minutes, against Iona on Sunday, and his impact was felt heavily once again.
Again the momentum swung to the Stags as Diakhate stole the ball on his first defensive possession in the game.
Fairfield went on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 45. It then began to pull away, taking a 60-55 lead with 3:32 remaining in the game.
He went to the bench for a few minutes to change his blood-stained shorts, the result of a collision with an Iona player.
The brief break did not faze Diakhate, who came back to seal the game with a steal.
Diakhate stole the ball, drove the length of the court and was intentionally fouled by Iona, giving the Stags two points and the ball back.
The Stags have enjoyed having Diakhate back on the floor, as he provides an energy that is rare among basketball players. He constantly smiles, claps and encourages his teammates while playing in-your-face defense to shut down the opposition.
“Mamadou, man. When he plays me in practice, I get frustrated,” said Herbie Allen ’08. “He brings toughness to the team; we definitely need him.”
Check out how the Stags stack up below. (Team, conference record, overall record)
Rider, 11-3, 18-7 Siena, 11-3, 16-8 Niagara, 9-5, 15-8 Marist, 9-5, 15-10 Loyola (MD), 9-5, 14-12 Fairfield, 8-6, 10-14 Iona, 6-8, 10-16 Manhattan, 3-11, 9-15 St. Peter’s, 2-12, 5-19 Canisius, 2-12, 4-20
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