Two home games remain for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, starting with tonight’s double-header against two of the top MAAC contenders.
In the midst of the battle for MAAC Tournament positioning, tonight’s double-header is crucial for both teams as the men play host to Marist while the women face Manhattan starting at 5:30.
Marist is second in the league with a 10-4 MAAC record including a 93-84 victory over the Stags on January 26 in Poughkeepsie, while the under-achieving Stags have a 6-8 conference record.
“We didn’t play well down there the last time, I didn’t make it to the end of it,” said head coach Tim O’Toole, who was ejected from the previous meeting with Marist after receiving two technical fouls for arguing with the referees.
Despite the mediocre record, the Stags have provided their fans with very entertaining and unpredictable performances this season, including Fairfield’s new five-man rotation that looks more like a hockey line-change than a basketball substitution.
“You get a chance to see some whirly-bird things every night—and that’s entertainment,” O’Toole said. “[The five-man rotation] is who we are. We have to keep it up. For what I have to do, perusing through these numbers night in and night out-the best way our team can play is by doing that.”
Fairfield defeated Siena 79-72 on Sunday in the team’s first game with the new look. It was the Stags’ first win over the Saints during O’Toole’s four years as head coach. The Stags’ two sets of five player rotation enabled 11 Stags to see playing time while adding much needed energy and enthusiasm on the court.
“We have a lot of talent on our team,” said senior Sam Spann, who scored 13 points against Siena. “Coach wanted to use everyone. It keeps everyone fresh. Everyone is capable to make things happen on this team.”
In the first game of Sunday’s double-header, the Lady Stags lost to Niagara behind a poor defensive effort 85-72. The undersized Purple Eagles were out-rebounded by the Stags 44-32, but were aided by 26 Fairfield turnovers to get their sixth win of the year.
The Lady Stags have now lost two-straight and face Manhattan tonight who beat the Stags 66-64 earlier this season. The Jaspers are currently third in the MAAC with an 8-6 record, while the Stags sit in fourth with a 7-8 conference record.
“It’s a big game,” said head coach Dianne Nolan. “We’re down right now. This is a crucial game for us.”
Fairfield’s men won its second-straight game on Tuesday, defeating Charleston Southern 70-55 in front of a small crowd because of the campus’ hostage crisis.
The Stags won their eighth game of the year overall, but Fairfield needs to continue its recent resurgence in the team’s final three regular season games.
“The team just got together and pulled together and decided the season is not over yet,” said Spann following Sunday’s game. “We are determined to win right now—our backs are against the wall.”
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