By Joe Budzelek
The Battle of the 203 regular-season series finale on Friday began with Fairfield’s 8–8 conference record tying them for sixth place in the MAAC standings, while Sacred Heart sat just a half-game behind Fairfield and Mount St. Mary’s. The Pioneers’ 8–9 record tied them with the Manhattan Jaspers.
That was a mouthful, but in short, Friday night’s pivotal matchup was not just about town pride in Fairfield — it was a battle between two surging teams vying for a coveted first-round bye in the MAAC Conference Tournament in Atlantic City, a goal both teams have been chasing after squaring off in the play-in round of last year’s tournament.
Prior to the game, Sacred Heart had been either feasting or famishing. The Pioneers ended non-conference play and opened full-time conference action with a six-game skid, then followed that with a five-game winning streak highlighted by statement wins at Siena and Quinnipiac. However, a loss to Merrimack sparked a three-game losing streak before a home victory against No. 2 seed Saint Peter’s reignited their momentum.
On the flip side, Fairfield’s freshman-filled roster understandably started MAAC play slowly, losing its first four conference games. However, the talented Stags entered Friday having won eight of their last 12.
While Sacred Heart swept the Stags 3–0 in last year’s debut series, the tables turned in Fairfield’s favor as the Stags opened the penultimate weekend of the regular season with a sweep of their own, capped by a 78–68 win Friday night.
Senior combo guard Braden Sparks continued his excellent play, leading the team with 21 points. He has now averaged 19.5 points per game over his last six contests. Freshman forward Brandon Benjamin recorded his sixth double-double in the last eight games, while fellow freshman Declan Wucherpfennig finished with his third double-double during that same span.
Sacred Heart led by 10 with six minutes remaining in the first half, but Fairfield’s strong defense ignited its transition offense. The Stags took care of the ball and forced nine more turnovers than they committed.
“We did a pretty good job of limiting their quality three-point looks right down to the end,” said Fairfield head coach Chris Casey. “In the second half, we got stops and rebounds that got us out in transition, and our bench really helped us.”
Receiving strong guard play off the bench, senior Deuce Turner scored seven points, dished out four assists, and provided gritty, physical defense. Sophomore Eric Mejia had struggled in conference play, scoring just one combined point over the previous five games, but his 11 points Friday marked a conference-season high. Capable of playing multiple positions, Mejia showcased his calm and assertive ability to carve through the defense and attack the rim.
Following the game, Casey reiterated that, barring injuries, his rotation is set for the remainder of the season, with Cam Estevez serving as the third guard off the bench, Ryan Zan as the floor-spacing forward, and Isaac Munkadi as the backup center.
With over 3,500 in attendance, Leo D. Mahoney Arena was rocking, as waves of support helped the Stags sustain their second-half runs. When time expired, a handful of players celebrated in the student section, which was at capacity.
“The energy in the building was great,” Casey said. “I was really excited about the fan base that was here. It’s always great. The energy is always great in the building. But especially with those students here, they did a great job of energizing us.”
Starting four freshmen — Benjamin, Wucherpfennig, point guard Tony Williams, and power wing Halon Rawlins — Fairfield’s young core has displayed a level of poise and composure on both ends of the floor that is uncommon for such a young team.
When asked about their veteran-like savvy, Benjamin was quick to credit Sparks’ leadership.
“Kudos to Braden,” Benjamin said. “We have a group chat with the starting five, and Braden texts us before game day. He tells us to play with a championship mindset. Especially in practice, we’re always on the same page, building chemistry.”
As a group, Benjamin was clear about the one area the freshmen need to polish: “More detail on the defensive end.”
Casey elaborated on how the freshmen — and the team as a whole — have been jelling at a pivotal point in the season.
“The biggest thing they do is buy into our defense,” Casey said. “This group has done a really good job of that. Speaking of the evolution of the freshmen, that’s the best thing they’ve done. They’ve done a lot of good things, but that’s been the biggest. It’s been led by Braden. He’s improved tremendously defensively. The things we emphasize, we’re getting better at — transition defense, screen defense, one-on-one defense, rebounding. When we do those things, we’re pretty good, and it gets us out in transition.”
While Fairfield has been playing excellent basketball of late, the Stags face a gauntlet as they battle Mount St. Mary’s for sole possession of the sixth seed. Mount’s win Friday kept the teams tied for the final first-round bye in the conference tournament.
Fairfield closes the regular season by hosting Mount St. Mary’s but first travels Sunday to face Quinnipiac before returning home to host Siena the following Friday. Both teams currently sit within the top four of the conference standings.
Maintaining a one-game-at-a-time mindset, Casey is not allowing his group to look too far ahead. The Stags will aim to even the regular-season series against the Bobcats at 2 p.m. Sunday.
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