by Joe Serzan
So close.
With an 81-78 loss to Providence Monday night, the Fairfield men’s basketball team put forth a courageous effort at the Arena at Harbor Yard which proved that last Monday’s debacle against Saint Joseph’s was certainly an aberration.
The Stags showed they could be extremely competitive with a Big East school even though their starting center was as tall as the opponent’s starting point guard at 6 feet 4 inches. It would have been the school’s first victory over a Big East school since 2003. On Nov. 24 2003, the Stags defeated St. John’s on the road in overtime 64-59.
From the beginning, the game just had that special type of feel to it. Yes, they were smaller. But the Stags came out of their pre-game huddle with an energized look like they had something to prove. Meanwhile, Providence seemed to be going through the motions early.
“The Fairfield energy level at the beginning of the game was higher than ours,” said Providence Head Coach Tim Welsh .
“I coached in (the MAAC at Iona), and sometimes games against the Big East are bigger than your games in the league,” he said. “You get yourself fired up. They’re dangerous games. They had a hop in their step and Danny Oglesby was on fire.”
Oglesby ’07, who transferred from South Florida last season, had a game- high and career-high 24 points off the bench for the Stags. It was Oglesby’s best game in a Fairfield uniform thus far.
“Danny Oglesby played phenomenally well,” said Fairfield Head Coach Tim O’Toole, who was as psyched during the Providence game as most of his players were on the sidelines. “It is hard for transfers to come in mid-year and get into a flow. We really needed Danny tonight though and he came through.”
Oglesby came into the season looking to keep things simple and work hard.
“I just wanted to be a little more aggressive today,” said Oglesby. “Once I made a few shots I just wanted to keep attacking. This year is a fresh start for me.”
Oglesby wasn’t the only bright spot for the Stags, as four other Fairfield players scored in double-digits for the game. Among them was starting point guard Jonathan Han ’09. Through three games thus far, Han has averaged 12 points, four assists and three rebounds.
But it is Han’s ability to become the team’s emotional leader on the floor, diving for loose balls, arguing with referees, and pressuring the opposing player, that is most impressive.
“The other players respect me,” said Han. “They know that I am a freshman but they respect the way I bring energy. I am always a leader out there.”
The Stags stayed close, with Oglesby knocking down three-point shot after three-point shot and Han dazzling the crowd with no-look pass after no-look pass. Fairfield led by six points with 13 minutes left but could not stop the Friars’ 6-foot-11-inch center Randall Hanke, who was nine of10 from the floor for 20 points.
However effective the Stags were against Providence, the reality is that they did lose Monday night and are now 0-3 on the season. In addition, they have lost 6-foot -7-inch forward Marty O’Sullivan and 6 -foot-6 freshman Nate Hawkins to injuries. O’Sullivan is out with an ankle injury for an unknown amount of time, but it is believed that his absence will be an extended one. Hawkins is out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.
“This size disadvantage is not going to go away,” said O’Toole. “We are going to have to fight and scrap to offset it. What we lack in size we are going to have to make up in speed.”
To make matters worse, Fairfield will play number 14-ranked Iowa Friday night in the first game of the Hawkeye Classic in Iowa City. Iowa has eight players who are 6 feet 7 inches or taller.
“Our schedule does not get any easier,” said O’Toole. “We have to fight harder there. But our schedule is preparing us for our league. We have to learn to get beat up a little and then fight back.”
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