The Stags’ winning streak may have ended at seven games with their loss to Marist on Thursday night, but after bouncing back on Sunday with a win over Loyola (MD), Fairfield is still on a roll.
Fairfield is now 9-6 in the MAAC and 11-16 overall. The Stags had won eight of their last nine games heading into Wedensday’s game against Siena, losing the other two by one point. The loss to Marist dropped them back in the standings to sixth place in the conference, but they remain only two games out of first place.
“Anytime you can overcome what we went through at Marist, I think its a good thing,” said Cooley. “If you can overcome a tough loss like that and go on the road and still have success, it shows that we have come a long way.”
The Stags headed to Poughkeepsie, NY on Thursday riding the momentum of one of the best victories in school history, a thrilling last second win over Loyola on Monday night. After defeating one of the conference co-leaders, the Stags almost defeated Marist, the other first place team, but a controversial call on a last second foul cost them a chance to win.
After James Smith got a rebound for Marist, he was fouled on a last second layup, putting him on the line for two free throws, needing one to win. Smith missed the first shot, but converted on the second, giving the Red Foxes a 65-64 win.
Fairfield continued its philosophy of taking one game at a time, moving on from the loss and going into a tough atmosphere at Loyola. They defeated the Greyhounds for the second time in a week, winning 67-59.
While the Stags would have liked to have picked up two wins on the two-game road-trip, senior guard Michael Van Schaick understands the importance of defeating Loyola on the road.
“It was a good win,” Van Schaick said. “It’s hard to win down here. They are in first place in the league, so if we can beat these guys, we’ll be alright.”
As it has been throughout the past few weeks, it was the leadership and scoring of Van Schaick that led Fairfield in both games. He was the team’s leading scorer against Marist and Loyola, scoring 24 points against the Red Foxes and 26 against the Greyhounds.
The two games raised Van Schaick’s season scoring average to a team-high 15.1 points per game.
Cooley said that he believes people need to start considering Van Schaick as a contender for the MAAC Player of the Year award.
“Van Schaick is really playing as the Player of the Year in the league,” he said. “When you look at what he is doing with this team, putting us on his back, somebody has to take notice. Night in and night out, he has people draped on him and he makes play after play after play.”
He ranks near the top in many statistical categories in the conference. His 15.1 points per game is ninth best in the MAAC. He also has the third best free throw percentage, at 84.3 percent. His three point shooting percentage is fifth best, at 41.4 percent.
“He really continues to practice his shot every day and he is a great leader, which makes it even easier for the rest of us,” said Anthony Johnson `10.
The offense has also been helped by the continuous development of freshmen forwards Greg Nero and Johnson as strong post players.
“I think anytime you can have an interior presence it loosens up your perimeter game,” Cooley said. “I think the last two games their presence has been big, more so for our continued development moving forward, having an offensive threat on the inside really helps your overall offensive game.”
Nero, who struggled during the middle of the season after starting the year as the team’s leading scorer for five straight games, has reestablished himself as a second option for the Stags, averaging 9.7 points per game, which is second to Van Schaick.
Against Marist, Nero played in front of many family members and friends who made the trip from nearby Red Hook, NY. He delivered a good game, scoring 13 points. Nero backed that performance up with 12 points against Loyola, including two three pointers. He entered the game just 1-for-14 from three-point range.
Johnson averaged 13 points in the two games this past week and showed off his terrific athleticism with an exclamation point – specifically, a tomahawk dunk – to close out the Stags’ win over Loyola.
“It was the right time, Van Schaick made a great pass and Devin Johnson made a great steal, it was there and I just dunked,” said Johnson.
Johnson has used his leaping ability throughout the season to make a big impact on the game, including a slam-dunk early in the Loyola game that silenced the crowd and swung the momentum to the Stags. He is still inconsistent and at times misses easy lay-up opportunities, but he has shown the ability to use his strength to get to the hoop and score.
The Stags’ defense remains the best in the MAAC, holding opponents to only 64.9 points per game. They held both Marist and Loyola well under their season averages. Marist averages 75.1 points per game and has only been held under 70 points one other time in conference play. Loyola averages 70.2 points per game.
“I am very excited with what our defense has been able to do,” said Cooley. “It has been a point of emphasis since the first day I walked on campus and it will continue to be a stable point for our program. We need to be able to stop people in critical situations and I think it is something we have really been able to do.”
The Stags’ defense has been able to keep them in every game they have played this year. Heading down the stretch and into the MAAC tournament, the defense will be key. If the defense plays the way it has, they can beat any team in the MAAC.
“I think our style of play alone, our team toughness is going to give us a chance night in and night out,” said Cooley. “If we continue to believe in what we are doing defensively, that is a key point. If we can guard, I feel eventually we can score the ball.”
Fairfield returned home for a game against Siena on Wednesday night with a chance to earn a season sweep over the Saints, who are 10-6 in MAAC play and sit in a tie for second place in the conference.
Fairfield is in the midst of a three-game homestand that began Wednesday against Siena and continues this weekend as they take on William ‘ Mary on Saturday and rematch Marist on Monday.
For expanded coverage of all the games, and a recap of Wednesday’s game visit www.fairfieldmirror.com.
Men’s Basketball Report Card
Offense:
While the Stags’ offense is beginning to show signs of life, there is still some room for improvement. Despite the fact that they stood toe-to-toe with a tough Marist team and scored 64 points, they shot a meager 45 percent. A few days later, they shot 42 percent against Loyola. Aside from field goal shooting, the Stags missed seven free throws (six in the second half) to keep the Greyhounds in the game.
Grade:B-
Frontcourt Play:
Van Schaick has been a steady contributor all season, and the team has won as a result. The recent games, though, have shown that Anthony Johnson and Greg Nero are starting to heat up. Nero totaled 12 points in the Stags’ win in Baltimore, and Johnson finished with 15 points. And he shot four-of-ten! Imagine if he could hit those four foot lay-ins.
Grade: B+
Overall:
The loss to Marist was heartbreaking. However, it was an encouraging sign to see a young and improving Fairfield squad shake it off and take down Loyola. Considering they were playing arguably the two best teams in the MAAC, “two out of three ain’t bad”.
Grade: A-
~Keith Connors
Men’s Notebook
High energy, passion and a committed work ethic have all contributed to Fairfield’s climb out of the MAAC cellar and into an elite competitor. In the Stags’ wins against Loyola and an impressive effort versus Marist, Fairfield is starting to jell.
A Senior Steps Up:
Michael Van Schaick has typically been a second-half player in most games all season. Based on his recent streak, it seems the second half of the season is mirroring that trend.
Van Schaick scored 24 points in the one-point loss against Marist, leading all scorers. Three days later, he put up a 26-point effort against Loyola. His average of 15.1 points per game is good enough for ninth in the MAAC. If he keeps it up, his name just might get thrown around in the MAAC Player of the Year conversation.
He already has some support; Head Coach Ed Cooley suggested after Van Schaick’s performance against the Greyhounds that he should definitely be in the mix.
Nero’s a Hero:
Just about a half-hour drive from his home in Red Hook, Greg Nero had a big night against Marist. Providing the Stags with a much-needed post presence, Nero finished with 13 points and four rebounds.
On a side note, a few buddies from Nero’s high school team were interrupting the Marist crowd at the McCann Center, sporting “Nero is our hero” t-shirts. The group even got a little rowdy and ventured into the student section. If only the Red Sea had this kind of enthusiasm. Nero’s resurgence is a great sign for the Stags. A big contributor early in the year, the freshman forward was slowed after opposing defense’s began to key on him. Slowly but surely, Nero is working his way back into the offense. He has scored double figures in two straight games.
Stat of the Week:
Fairfield’s recent surge (8-2 in 10 games) is tops in the MAAC in that span. The closest teams to that mark are Niagara and conference-leader Marist at 7-3.
Bring It Home:
The Stags have done a fine job on the road lately, winning two important games away from the Harbor against two tough teams, Canisius and Loyola (Md.). That’s not including a fantastic performance against Marist.
Now, they find themselves in a three-game homestand that includes a ESPN Bracketbuster game against William ‘ Mary (Sat. 2/17) and a rematch with Jared Jordan ’07 and the Marist Red Foxes (Mon. 2/19).
Now that Fairfield is in contention for a top seed in the MAAC tournament, there’s definitely no place like home.
– KEITH CONNORS
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