Fairfield – Rider Early Edition Game Notes ♫ 23-24 - 218
Feb 6, 2024 22:46:42 GMT -5
FU73 and stags1983 like this
Post by reindeerfan on Feb 6, 2024 22:46:42 GMT -5
Early Edition Game Notes is intended to be fun, informative and sometime irreverent way to look at the numbers, but if you take this stuff too seriously you are cautioned against reading any further. Please proceed at your own risk!
PLEASE DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR! .
Fairfield – Rider Early Edition Game Notes ♫ 23-24 - 218
Fairfield University (13-9, 7-4 MAAC) VS Rider (8-14, 5-6 MAAC)
Thursday, February 8, 2024, 7:00
Leo D. Mahoney Arena, Fairfield, CT
LAST TIME OUT
Thanks to a late 14-0 run, Fairfield University Men's Basketball turned a six-point halftime deficit into a 8 point victory as the Stags got past Manhattan by a final score of 77-68. Jalen Leach's 23-point effort was his fourth 20 point effort in the last five games and his eighth of the 2023-24 campaign. He shot 8-for-13 from the field and 3-for-5 from the three-point line. Caleb Fields contributed 19 tallies, while Brycen Goodine added 18 points. Jasper Floyd finished with 8 points in a game where Fairfield's 4 guards were responsible for all but 9 of the points scored by the Stags. The Stags started off cold connecting on only 3 of 14 first half three point attempts. But in the second half the Stags were on fire shooting 70% from distance with James Johns, Jalen Leach, Jasper Floyd, Caleb Fields and Brycen Goodine all contributing second half treys. Manhattan had built an 8 point lead in the first half by repeatedly taking shots from close scoring 24 of their 36 first half points from inside the paint. It was a different story in the second half as Fairfield limited Manhattan to only 10 points in the paint. The shorthanded Stags line-up survived an impressive effort by a Manhattan squad that is clearly better than their 5-19 / 2-9 record.
SERIES HISTORY
Rider and Fairfield have faced each other 74 times with the Stags coming out on top in 38 of those contests. The Stags hold a slim edge in MAAC play 31-30 including 3 games in the MAAC Tournament in which Fairfield has a 2-1 record. Rider has had the edge most recently winning 6 of the last 10 games.
ABOUT THE BRONCS
Before their 1 point loss on Sunday to Iona, the preseason MAAC favorite Rider Broncs had the second longest current winning streak in the conference. Three players average 10 or more points led by MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Merwin James' 19.6 ppg. He leads the league in scoring and averages a team-best 6.7 rpg. Allen Powell averages 10.3 ppg and is also No. 2 with 32 3FG and 2.6 apg. UMass transfer T.J. Weeks Jr. averages 10.1 ppg and leads with 40 3FG while Corey McKeithan is No. 3 in scoring (8.2/g) and leads with 3.4 apg. Rider has a lot of weapons and seems to have overcome the disjointed play that got them off to a slow start this season.
SAINT SERVATIUS
Supporters of the Fairfield Basketball Team began offering prays to Saint Servatius, the Patron Saint of Feet and Ankles, in the hopes that he might intercede to help speed healing and help the Stags avoid further ankle injuries this season. Six different Stags have missed action this year due to injuries to lower extremities.
PRAYER TO SAINT SERVATIUS
O Blessed Servatius, thou wouldst mercifully offer spiritual guidance to those in need. O Saint Servatius, our patron, pray for us that through your intercession we may find healing, comfort, and spiritual guidance in our time of need. Amen.
MIXING IT UP
The Stags have now used 6 different starting line-ups this season, with 8 different players earning starts. Peyton Smith was the only Stag to start in every game, until an ankle injury ended his streak of consecutive starts at 21 games.
FANS ARE HOPING PEYTON DOESN’T FOLLOW IN EINSTIEN’S FOOTSTEPS
Stags fans are hopeful the injury at Iona doesn’t divert Peyton into studying nuclear physics.
INJURY REPORT
The team trainer stated that if there is a conference record for sprained ankles in a season, he thinks Peyton Smith may have just broken it. The Stags remain hopeful that the sidelined players will be returning soon, Louie Bleechmore was seen walking on campus without too much effort, he seems the closest to being heeled. Peyton reportedly gave the special shoe the boot and is walking without it. A student who saw Peyton reported he isn’t moving well yet and deemed him "unlikely" for this week. Lex Yetna had a minor set-back on Sunday night, scraping his knee during rehab, so the trainers have started a new treatment that involves rubbing herbs on his knee. They believe Thyme heals all wounds. Lets hope they are right about this last one.
JESUS LIVES
Members of the Early Edition staff want to give a shout out to beloved Stag Jesus Cruz who was in attendance for the Manhattan game. Cruz was a fan favorite who holds the record for most games played as a Stag. Reports are Cruz will be in the area for a few weeks before continuing his post college basketball career.
COMIC OF THE DAY
Arlo and Janis
Arlo and Janis is an American gag-a-day comic strip written and drawn by Jimmy Johnson. It is a leisurely paced domestic situation comedy. It was first published in newspapers on July 29, 1985.
ACTIVE CAREER BLOCK LEADERS
With Peyton Smith on the DL, Jasper Floyd is using the time to try to close in on Peyton Smith who is currently the team leader in career blocks among active players at Fairfield. Floyd made an impressive block knocking the ball out of bounds on Sunday that created shot clock violation for the Jaspers. Below is a list of blocks by active players. This list only includes career blocks made while playing for the Stags.
18 Peyton Smith
14 Jalen Leach
10 James Johns
8 Jack Brown
8 Brycen Goodine
7 Louis Bleechmore
6 Birima Seck
6 Caleb Fields
2 Jasper Floyd
FREE THROW LEADER
With two missed free throws Sunday, Jalen Leach fell to 12th in the nation in free throw percentage at 90.91 percent
NCAA LEADERS
FREE THROWS
1 DJ Davis Butler Sr. 22 70 73 95.89
2 Tamar Bates Missouri 22 60 63 95.24
3 Dae Dae Grant Duquesne 18 98 103 95.15
4 Zion Harmon Bethune-Cookman 17 57 61 93.44
5 Al-Amir Dawes Seton Hall 22 56 60 93.33
...
12 Jalen Leach Fairfield Sr. 6-4 G 20 60 66 90.91
ASSISTS
1 Braden Smith Purdue 23 167
2 Savion Lewis Quinnipiac 22 165
3 Tyler Kolek Marquette 22 159
....
56 Jasper Floyd Fairfield 22 107
ASSISTS PER GAME
1 Elijah Hawkins Minnesota 20 156 7.8[/font]
2 Savion Lewis Quinnipiac 22 165 7.5[/font]
3 Symir Torrence Binghamton 21 153 7.3[/font]
...
57 Jasper Floyd Fairfield Jr. 22 107 4.9
STEALS
1 Arturo Dean FIU 22 81
2 Robert Ford III Montana St. 23 69
3 Frankie Collins Arizona St. 22 68
...
10 Jasper Floyd Fairfield 22 53
THREE POINT PERCENTAGE
1 Koby Brea Dayton Jr. 21 59 123 47.97[/font]
2 Isaac McKneely Virginia 21 53 113 46.90[/font]
3 Chaz Lanier North Florida Jr. 24 82 177 46.33[/font]
NQ Brycen Goodine Fairfield 21 50 111 45.00 (BG needs 5 made treys next game to qualify)
......
50 Caleb Fields Fairfield 20 60 153 39.22
THREE POINTERS PER GAME
1 Tyler Thomas Hofstra Sr. 23 85 3.70
2 Isaiah Swope Indiana St. 22 78 3.55
3 Joe French Ark.-Pine Bluff 21 73 3.48
......
24 Caleb Fields Fairfield 20 60 3.00
DID YOU KNOW - WITH SJ
A group of three or more squids is called a "squad", a term pop culture has recently adapted to mean a group of people you do drugs with.
MILESTONES
Chris Casey recently secured his 75 victory as a MAAC Coach
Caleb Fields reached the 1150 career point mark versus Manhattan.
STREAKS
Jalen Leach’s consecutive free throws made streak ended at 16.
Brycen Goodine continued his streak of 20 consecutive games with a rebound and a made basket this season
Jasper Floyd continued his streak of 21 straight games with a made basket, rebound and an assist.
MAGIC NUMBERS
3 – The number of rebounds Peyton Smith needs to reach 100 as a Stag.
7 – The number of rebounds Louie Bleechmore needs to reach 100 as a Stag.
7 – Wins needed to get to 20. The Stags have not surpassed 20 wins in more than 10 years (2011-12 season).
10 – The number of wins Chris Casey will need to surpass Paul Cormier for 30th place all-time in MAAC coaching victories.
32 – Number of days until the MAAC Tournament begins
154 – The number of points Alexis Yetna needs to reach the 1000 career point mark.
349 – The number of points Jalen Leach needs to reach the 1000 career point mark.
572 - The number of points Brycen Goodine needs to reach the 1000 career point mark.
789 – The number of points Louie Bleechmore needs to reach the 1000 career point mark.
796 – The number of points Jasper Floyd needs to reach the 1000 career point mark
807 – The number of points James Johns needs to reach the 1000 career point mark
826 – The number of points Peyton Smith needs to reach the 1000 career point mark
SEPARATED AT BIRTH
HEARD BUT PROBABLY NOT TRUE
BRONC ZOO PAPERED
Rider University President Gregory Dell’Omo has decided to cover the University’s basketball arena with bathroom tissue. According to Dell’Omo, its because Rider always looks better on paper.
NEMEC VOWS TO CHANGE COACH A WEEK BEFORE START OF EVERY SEASON GOING FORWARD
With Fairfield surging in the MAAC standings and enjoying a tremendous turnaround after the departure of former Head Coach Jay Young, Mark Nemec has vowed, going forward, to change the teams head coach a week before the start of every season. “I had no idea changing coaches would propel Fairfield to such a fantastic record. I mean, I guess I should have thought of trying this sooner. If this move will result in a top tier finish every season, I think it only makes sense to keep doing it. I have to admit, though I am going to miss Chris Casey next season.”
At press time Nemec seemed puzzled as to why the Women’s team remains in first place even though he didn’t change their coach. He was also unsure as to why Cinderella’s coach turned into a pumpkin……
With apologies to Mark Nemec
PLEASE DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR! .
Fairfield – Rider Early Edition Game Notes ♫ 23-24 - 218
Fairfield University (13-9, 7-4 MAAC) VS Rider (8-14, 5-6 MAAC)
Thursday, February 8, 2024, 7:00
Leo D. Mahoney Arena, Fairfield, CT
LAST TIME OUT
Thanks to a late 14-0 run, Fairfield University Men's Basketball turned a six-point halftime deficit into a 8 point victory as the Stags got past Manhattan by a final score of 77-68. Jalen Leach's 23-point effort was his fourth 20 point effort in the last five games and his eighth of the 2023-24 campaign. He shot 8-for-13 from the field and 3-for-5 from the three-point line. Caleb Fields contributed 19 tallies, while Brycen Goodine added 18 points. Jasper Floyd finished with 8 points in a game where Fairfield's 4 guards were responsible for all but 9 of the points scored by the Stags. The Stags started off cold connecting on only 3 of 14 first half three point attempts. But in the second half the Stags were on fire shooting 70% from distance with James Johns, Jalen Leach, Jasper Floyd, Caleb Fields and Brycen Goodine all contributing second half treys. Manhattan had built an 8 point lead in the first half by repeatedly taking shots from close scoring 24 of their 36 first half points from inside the paint. It was a different story in the second half as Fairfield limited Manhattan to only 10 points in the paint. The shorthanded Stags line-up survived an impressive effort by a Manhattan squad that is clearly better than their 5-19 / 2-9 record.
SERIES HISTORY
Rider and Fairfield have faced each other 74 times with the Stags coming out on top in 38 of those contests. The Stags hold a slim edge in MAAC play 31-30 including 3 games in the MAAC Tournament in which Fairfield has a 2-1 record. Rider has had the edge most recently winning 6 of the last 10 games.
ABOUT THE BRONCS
Before their 1 point loss on Sunday to Iona, the preseason MAAC favorite Rider Broncs had the second longest current winning streak in the conference. Three players average 10 or more points led by MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Merwin James' 19.6 ppg. He leads the league in scoring and averages a team-best 6.7 rpg. Allen Powell averages 10.3 ppg and is also No. 2 with 32 3FG and 2.6 apg. UMass transfer T.J. Weeks Jr. averages 10.1 ppg and leads with 40 3FG while Corey McKeithan is No. 3 in scoring (8.2/g) and leads with 3.4 apg. Rider has a lot of weapons and seems to have overcome the disjointed play that got them off to a slow start this season.
SAINT SERVATIUS
Supporters of the Fairfield Basketball Team began offering prays to Saint Servatius, the Patron Saint of Feet and Ankles, in the hopes that he might intercede to help speed healing and help the Stags avoid further ankle injuries this season. Six different Stags have missed action this year due to injuries to lower extremities.
PRAYER TO SAINT SERVATIUS
O Blessed Servatius, thou wouldst mercifully offer spiritual guidance to those in need. O Saint Servatius, our patron, pray for us that through your intercession we may find healing, comfort, and spiritual guidance in our time of need. Amen.
MIXING IT UP
The Stags have now used 6 different starting line-ups this season, with 8 different players earning starts. Peyton Smith was the only Stag to start in every game, until an ankle injury ended his streak of consecutive starts at 21 games.
FANS ARE HOPING PEYTON DOESN’T FOLLOW IN EINSTIEN’S FOOTSTEPS
Stags fans are hopeful the injury at Iona doesn’t divert Peyton into studying nuclear physics.
INJURY REPORT
The team trainer stated that if there is a conference record for sprained ankles in a season, he thinks Peyton Smith may have just broken it. The Stags remain hopeful that the sidelined players will be returning soon, Louie Bleechmore was seen walking on campus without too much effort, he seems the closest to being heeled. Peyton reportedly gave the special shoe the boot and is walking without it. A student who saw Peyton reported he isn’t moving well yet and deemed him "unlikely" for this week. Lex Yetna had a minor set-back on Sunday night, scraping his knee during rehab, so the trainers have started a new treatment that involves rubbing herbs on his knee. They believe Thyme heals all wounds. Lets hope they are right about this last one.
JESUS LIVES
Members of the Early Edition staff want to give a shout out to beloved Stag Jesus Cruz who was in attendance for the Manhattan game. Cruz was a fan favorite who holds the record for most games played as a Stag. Reports are Cruz will be in the area for a few weeks before continuing his post college basketball career.
COMIC OF THE DAY
Arlo and Janis
Arlo and Janis is an American gag-a-day comic strip written and drawn by Jimmy Johnson. It is a leisurely paced domestic situation comedy. It was first published in newspapers on July 29, 1985.
ACTIVE CAREER BLOCK LEADERS
With Peyton Smith on the DL, Jasper Floyd is using the time to try to close in on Peyton Smith who is currently the team leader in career blocks among active players at Fairfield. Floyd made an impressive block knocking the ball out of bounds on Sunday that created shot clock violation for the Jaspers. Below is a list of blocks by active players. This list only includes career blocks made while playing for the Stags.
18 Peyton Smith
14 Jalen Leach
10 James Johns
8 Jack Brown
8 Brycen Goodine
7 Louis Bleechmore
6 Birima Seck
6 Caleb Fields
2 Jasper Floyd
FREE THROW LEADER
With two missed free throws Sunday, Jalen Leach fell to 12th in the nation in free throw percentage at 90.91 percent
NCAA LEADERS
FREE THROWS
1 DJ Davis Butler Sr. 22 70 73 95.89
2 Tamar Bates Missouri 22 60 63 95.24
3 Dae Dae Grant Duquesne 18 98 103 95.15
4 Zion Harmon Bethune-Cookman 17 57 61 93.44
5 Al-Amir Dawes Seton Hall 22 56 60 93.33
...
12 Jalen Leach Fairfield Sr. 6-4 G 20 60 66 90.91
ASSISTS
1 Braden Smith Purdue 23 167
2 Savion Lewis Quinnipiac 22 165
3 Tyler Kolek Marquette 22 159
....
56 Jasper Floyd Fairfield 22 107
ASSISTS PER GAME
1 Elijah Hawkins Minnesota 20 156 7.8[/font]
2 Savion Lewis Quinnipiac 22 165 7.5[/font]
3 Symir Torrence Binghamton 21 153 7.3[/font]
...
57 Jasper Floyd Fairfield Jr. 22 107 4.9
STEALS
1 Arturo Dean FIU 22 81
2 Robert Ford III Montana St. 23 69
3 Frankie Collins Arizona St. 22 68
...
10 Jasper Floyd Fairfield 22 53
THREE POINT PERCENTAGE
1 Koby Brea Dayton Jr. 21 59 123 47.97[/font]
2 Isaac McKneely Virginia 21 53 113 46.90[/font]
3 Chaz Lanier North Florida Jr. 24 82 177 46.33[/font]
NQ Brycen Goodine Fairfield 21 50 111 45.00 (BG needs 5 made treys next game to qualify)
......
50 Caleb Fields Fairfield 20 60 153 39.22
THREE POINTERS PER GAME
1 Tyler Thomas Hofstra Sr. 23 85 3.70
2 Isaiah Swope Indiana St. 22 78 3.55
3 Joe French Ark.-Pine Bluff 21 73 3.48
......
24 Caleb Fields Fairfield 20 60 3.00
DID YOU KNOW - WITH SJ
A group of three or more squids is called a "squad", a term pop culture has recently adapted to mean a group of people you do drugs with.
MILESTONES
Chris Casey recently secured his 75 victory as a MAAC Coach
Caleb Fields reached the 1150 career point mark versus Manhattan.
STREAKS
Jalen Leach’s consecutive free throws made streak ended at 16.
Brycen Goodine continued his streak of 20 consecutive games with a rebound and a made basket this season
Jasper Floyd continued his streak of 21 straight games with a made basket, rebound and an assist.
MAGIC NUMBERS
3 – The number of rebounds Peyton Smith needs to reach 100 as a Stag.
7 – The number of rebounds Louie Bleechmore needs to reach 100 as a Stag.
7 – Wins needed to get to 20. The Stags have not surpassed 20 wins in more than 10 years (2011-12 season).
10 – The number of wins Chris Casey will need to surpass Paul Cormier for 30th place all-time in MAAC coaching victories.
32 – Number of days until the MAAC Tournament begins
154 – The number of points Alexis Yetna needs to reach the 1000 career point mark.
349 – The number of points Jalen Leach needs to reach the 1000 career point mark.
572 - The number of points Brycen Goodine needs to reach the 1000 career point mark.
789 – The number of points Louie Bleechmore needs to reach the 1000 career point mark.
796 – The number of points Jasper Floyd needs to reach the 1000 career point mark
807 – The number of points James Johns needs to reach the 1000 career point mark
826 – The number of points Peyton Smith needs to reach the 1000 career point mark
SEPARATED AT BIRTH
HEARD BUT PROBABLY NOT TRUE
BRONC ZOO PAPERED
Rider University President Gregory Dell’Omo has decided to cover the University’s basketball arena with bathroom tissue. According to Dell’Omo, its because Rider always looks better on paper.
NEMEC VOWS TO CHANGE COACH A WEEK BEFORE START OF EVERY SEASON GOING FORWARD
With Fairfield surging in the MAAC standings and enjoying a tremendous turnaround after the departure of former Head Coach Jay Young, Mark Nemec has vowed, going forward, to change the teams head coach a week before the start of every season. “I had no idea changing coaches would propel Fairfield to such a fantastic record. I mean, I guess I should have thought of trying this sooner. If this move will result in a top tier finish every season, I think it only makes sense to keep doing it. I have to admit, though I am going to miss Chris Casey next season.”
At press time Nemec seemed puzzled as to why the Women’s team remains in first place even though he didn’t change their coach. He was also unsure as to why Cinderella’s coach turned into a pumpkin……
With apologies to Mark Nemec
Edition 218 @stagsmensbball , #stagsmensbball, #MAACHoops , #heardbutprobablynottrue , #EEGN , #HBPNT ♫2023-2024♫
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