Following a tough loss against Quinnipiac on Sunday afternoon, Fairfield men’s basketball looks forward to a Thursday night clash against cross-town rivals, Sacred Heart, on Pioneer territory. The Pioneers are currently 10-14 overall and 6-7 in the MAAC, and had their own win streak snapped on Sunday with a 75-58 loss to Merrimack College.
The Stags have recently struggled against Sacred Heart, losing their last three contests, most notably in a first-round exit of the MAAC Championship Tournament last season. Looking to rewrite the narrative, Fairfield is focusing on harnessing its young power.
For the second consecutive week and the sixth time so far in his first-year season, Brandon Benjamin has been named the MAAC Rookie of the Week. He currently leads the MAAC with 10.3 rebounds per game and a field goal percentage of .579. He ranks second in offensive rebounds with a 4.48 average and 1.57 blocks per game. He also currently holds the record for most rebounds as a first-year, with 238 and counting.
“I think we’re getting some good production from young guys,” head coach Chris Casey told the Mirror in a recent interview. “The freshmen have been fantastic, I mean, we’re starting four of them.”
With his sixth double-double of the season, first-year Declan Wucherpfennig set the tone for Fairfield against Quinnipiac with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The 6’7 forward has been awarded Rookie of the Week twice so far this season. Another leader of that game for the Stags is Braden Sparks, who banked 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
The Pioneers have some threats on their roster, including senior Yan Farell, who accounted for 18 of the Pioneers’ 58 points on Sunday night. He was supported by redshirt senior Anquan Hill, who contributed 12 points, and senior Dashon Gittens, who added 11 points and 10 rebounds of his own to compose his fifth double-double of the year.
What hurt the Stags the most about their most recent defeat was how crucial that matchup was for the conference standings. Fairfield currently sits at seventh, but could’ve jumped up ahead of Quinnipiac to the fifth spot if they had won on Sunday. Facing a tough schedule ahead against Saint Peter’s, Marist, and reigning MAAC Tournament Champion Mount St. Mary’s, the Stags must channel every bit of brilliance they’ve shown this season so far onto the last few games of their schedule.
“The thing we’ve done that I’m really proud of is rebounding the basketball,” Casey commented. “That’s been going good for us.”
A player to look out for is graduate guard Deuce Turner, who led the bench on Sunday with 13 points. Coming off a few good consecutive performances, Turner has been finding his rhythm again for the Stags.
“Deuce is a hard worker. He wants to play well, and he’s about the team,” Casey commented. “He wants to play well to help us win.”
The Stags will tip-off against the Pioneers at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the William H. Pitt Athletic Center in Fairfield. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, and tickets are now available on Ticketmaster.com.