First-year forward Brandon Benjamin rallied the Stags to a 73-65 triumph against Monmouth University’s Black Hawks with his MAAC-leading fourth double-double of the season, scoring 16 points and picking up 12 rebounds while shooting 8-for-11 from the field.
Going into the Sunday afternoon clash, both teams were 5-5 overall. Fairfield recently completed a disappointing 0-2 conference road trip against Merrimack and Manhattan, and needed a win like today’s to bounce back. The Stags are now 6-5.
“That’s a really, really, really good win at home against a very good team and a very well coached team,” head coach Chris Casey said at the post-game press conference.
The Stags started cold, only making five of 16 attempted layups by the end of the half, but the starting five managed to keep the game within six points with solid defensive work.
“[We had] some really aggressive defense without fouling and that got us a couple stops when we needed it, and a couple big rebounds when we needed it,” Casey noted. The first 17 points of the contest were scored by first-years, led by Tony Williams with seven, until senior guard Braden Sparks downed a three that set off a personal eight-point run.
The second half started 32-35, with more defensive work as both teams climbed their way up the scoreboard. A three-pointer from first-year Declan Wucherpfennig to take the lead at 46-44 seemed to turn the tide in favor of the Stags as Mahoney Arena erupted for the shot. Wucherpfennig scored 15 points in total, with six rebounds and three assists during his 36-minute appearance.
Sparks stayed in for the entirety of the game, leading both teams with 17 points; he earned six rebounds and two assists to round out his stats.
“I’m not even thinking about being exhausted or tired, but everybody out there is just helping all the time, giving me confidence,” Sparks noted.
Another moment of high intensity came when Benjamin smothered the rim with a pair of dunks amidst a 9-0 run for the Stags. The first came off a steal and an end-to-end slam. The second came after a key block from first-year Halon Rawlins that Benjamin took across the court to force into the rim to make it 68-57.
“The first one, I was like ‘I see the rim,’” Benjamin shared. “The second one, he stared me down while I was going to the rim, and I was like ‘Oh, I’m making this.’”
Starting that momentum was sophomore guard Eric Mejia, who scored the Stags’ first two points from the bench with a jumper at the 10-minute mark of the second half. Mejia led the bench, scoring seven points.
Monmouth showed signs of life and cut their deficit to 68-63, but the Stags kept pushing. Sparks ultimately capped out the contest with a three-pointer with less than two minutes to go. The Stags went on to hold out until the buzzer, winning it 73-65.
Overall, the Stags bested the Black Hawks with a 40-31 advantage on the glass, including 16 offensive boards that translated to 14 second-chance points.
Up next for Fairfield is the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils on Thursday, a day-trip of a road game to New Britain.“It’s going to be tough to win on the road, but here’s another opportunity to do it against a very well-coached team,” Casey noted.
The Stags return home to Mahoney Arena on Monday, Dec. 22 to host the City College of New York.
