Men’s Basketball Eyes Second Straight Win on Thursday vs. Fairfield

Game #17: Fairfield Stags @ Manhattan Jaspers
Thursday, January 23, 2025 | 7:00 PM
Draddy Gymnasium | Riverdale, NY
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RIVERDALE, N.Y. — The Jaspers enter Thursday night's home battle vs. Fairfield fresh off a 72-65 home win over Niagara on Saturday. The triumph over the Purple Eagles saw three Jaspers equal or exceed career highs across multiple categories. Masiah Gilyard notched a D1 career-high 13 rebounds and equaled a D1 career-high 18 points. Devin Dinkins set a new personal best in assists with 6 and knocked down a career-best five threes against the Niagara defense. Welsey Robinson supplied 20 points, which matched his best points output in a D1 game which he initially set in an 80-66 win over Wagner on December 18. Manhattan now welcomes to Draddy Gym a Fairfield team who is also 3-4 in MAAC play. 

Scouting the Opposition:

• Fairfield's offense is led by Prophet Johnson, who paces all Stags at 11.9 points-per game. Johnson also tops the team's rebounding charts with 7.1 caroms-per-game. 

• Counting Johnson, a transfer from Southern Utah, Fairfield has enlisted the services of 9 new players on this year's roster after losing its top five scorers from last season.

• Last season, Fairfield finished the regular season in second place with a record of 14-6. The Stags advanced all the way to the MAAC Championship Game where they lost to Saint Peter's. 

• Fairfield is allowing 72.9 points per game which is 10th in the MAAC. The Stags are also below average in the conference in average points margin at -4.4, which ranks 11th.

• The Stags are eyeing their first win on the road in conference play, having dropped their first three contests away from Leo D. Mahoney Arena. 

• Each of Fairfield's three MAAC wins have come by four points or less. The Stags have registered wins over Rider, Iona and Niagara. 

• Fairfield is led by head coach Chris Casey, who is in his second season at the helm for the Stags. Casey arrived at Fairfield in 2019 as an assistant on former coach Jay Young's staff. After being named interim head coach before the start of the 2023-24 season, Casey had the interim tag removed following the Stags' best season in 13 years. Casey was the head coach at Niagara from 2013-2019.  

Last Five Meetings:

Manhattan Leads All-Time 60-56

2/04/24....................................FFD 77-68

1/21/24...................................FFD 82-75

2/19/23....................................MAN 73-72

12/01/22....................................MAN 56-53

2/27/22....................................FFD 66-62
 

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