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GAME NOTES: Fairfield closes out a five-game homestand tonight, as the Stags are set to host the Jaspers of Manhattan in a MAAC affair at Webster Bank Arena.

Manhattan enters the matchup with a 17-8 overall tally that includes a 10-3 mark against MAAC foes, but the Jaspers had an eight-game win streak come to a close in an 85-73 final at Iona last Saturday. Ironically, the run of success began with a 53-51 verdict over Fairfield back on January 8th and continued for nearly a month.

As for Fairfield, the Stags put a three-game win streak on the line tonight, and posted a 64-56 verdict over Siena in their last outing. The Stags are 3-1 in their recent home stretch, averaging 74 points per game in those victories, including a season-high 81 points against Marist. The Stags currently stand at 13-10 overall this season, which includes an 8-4 tally to their league slate.

Manhattan owns a 45-40 edge over Fairfield in terms of the all-time series between the two foes.

The Jaspers got a game-high 26 points against Iona, but the squad hit just 40.3 percent from the field while allowing the Gaels to shoot at a 50.9 percent clip. The effort at the defensive end of the court was a bit out of the ordinary for Manhattan, which has held the opposition to 39.5 percent shooting this season. The Jaspers struggled from beyond the arc during the meeting with a 10-of-30 performance from long range, and were bested in the paint to the tune of 38-28. Kidani Brutus checked in off the bench to net 12 points in the losing effort, representing the only other Manhattan player to reach double figures. On the season, the Jaspers have kept opponents in check to the tune of 64.1 points per game, and have outscored those adversaries by just over six points as well. Manhattan is also one of the best shot-blocking teams in the country, averaging 5.2 blocks per contest. Rhamel Brown has been responsible for over half of those blocks, registering 66 rejections through 25 games. Beamon has paced the squad on offense, representing the club's lone double-figure scorer (17.8 ppg), and also owns a 5.6 rpg tally, which currently leads the Jaspers as well.

The Stags bring a defense of their own to the table, limiting the opposition to just 62.3 ppg on 41.6 percent shooting. At the offensive end of the court, however, Fairfield tallies an underwhelming 65.8 ppg itself, in spite of a respectable 44.7 team shooting percentage that includes a moderately successful 36.5 percent conversion rate from beyond the arc. Rakim Sanders, with 16.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest, paces the team up to this point, while Derek Needham checks in with 12.3 ppg to go with a team-best 62 assists. The Stags used a 44.2 percent effort from the field that included nine three-pointers in the win over Siena. Keeping the Saints in check to the tune of 31.0 percent from the field overall didn't hurt either, as a miserable 24.2 percent pace over the opening 20 minutes helped Fairfield to a commanding 37-24 halftime advantage. Sanders posted a game-high 23 points and collected nine rebounds to lead the way for the Stags, while Needham finished with 19 points.

Both squads bring a similar defensive identity into the meeting, but go with the Jaspers here, who have a distinctive size advantage that should make an impact eventually.