Watch this game tonight on our livestream! Tipoff scheduled for 730pm!
Tonight, Fairfield (14-3) will travel to take on Greater Miami Conference foe Mason (14-3) in a crucial conference encounter. Here is a more in-depth look at tonight's contest.
1) Both teams bring into the game identical 14-3 marks along with 8-3 conference records. The two teams are knotted with Princeton and Lakota West in a four-way tie for second place in the GMC behind Middletown, who is 10-1 in conference play. Fairfield has losses to Mason, at Middletown, and Sycamore, while Mason has dropped games at Middletown, Princeton, and Lakota West. Both teams were cruising along quite nicely until the Indians were upset by Sycamore and Mason dropped two of its last four games after a 12-1 start.
2) Both teams are dominated by seniors. Mason's top four scorers are seniors including six of its top eight. Fairfield, who is definitely the feel good story of the GMC, is led by six seniors in the scoring department. The Indians have gradually got better since the senior class entered the high school hallways. They went from 5-16 to 9-12 to 12-11 before exploding this season.
3) The Comets are led by 6-5 senior Darin Harris, who is averaging 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds a game. Harris is having a sensational year and starting to garner attention from the college scouts. 6-1 senior JD Sprague follows with 14.2 points and 3.8 assists a night. Sprague will be a preferred walk-on this fall at Ohio University to play football. 6-5 senior Michael Van Kleunen checks in at 13 points and 4.2 boards a game. 6-2 senior Tim Reale is a real catalyst for the Comets scoring 4.5 points and handing out 4.2 assists. Seniors Todd Reed (6'3) and Jonathan Delotell (5'11) along with juniors Drew Matula (6'1) and Conner McVey (6'1) provide depth.
4) Fairfield is led by 6-foot senior Jeff Woods (11.1 ppg.) and 6-7 senior Brandon Murphy (11.1 ppg./7.6 rpg.). 6-2 senior Keon Benjamin adds 10.2 points per game and 5-11 senior James Turner nets 8.1 points and grabs 5.2 boards. 5-10 senior Kyle Smith is another scoring option at 7.8 ppg and 5-10 senior Devon Barlow tallies just over four points a game and 3.2 steals. Sophomore Tim Fleming (5'11) is another valuable option.
5) Mason held on for a 54-52 win over the Indians in the initial meeting. The Comets got 21 points and six rebounds from Harris and17 points from Sprague. Van Kleunen added 14 points and five boards. Mason made more free-throws (12) than Fairfield attempted (10), which was the difference in the contest. Fairfield got 15 points and seven rebounds from Murphy, nine points from Woods, and eight points and six steals by Barlow. Smith and Benjamin came off the bench to score eight and six points respectively. The Indians out-pointed the Comets' bench, 14-0. Fairfield made 7-of-14 three-point attempts.
