Fairfield 75 St. Peter’s 63: The points of emphasis

Ryan Olander discussing Fairfield's fifth MAAC victory

Jersey City, NJ – Fairfield used a strong second half showing to end any upset bid by host St. Peter’s . The Stags improved to 5-3 in the MAAC with a 75-63 victory over St. Peter’s (3-5 MAAC), Thursday at Yanitelli Center. The points of emphasis:

1. Experience plus inside play is a plus. The veteran Fairfield club used their interior prowess against a small, young St. Peter’s team.” They kicked us in the teeth in the paint,” said St. Peter’s coach John Dunne. “The second half really hurt us.” At halftime St. Peter’s trailed 36-31 and was in striking distance. The final twenty minutes were in favor of the Stags, who enjoyed a 17 point lead with just over eight minutes to play. Seven foot Ryan Olander enjoyed a 17 point, 10 rebound outing for Fairfield. Rakim Sanders, the talented 6-5 swingman, led all scorers with 19 points while grabbing 10 boards. The Stags enjoyed a 46-32 lead in points in the paint. “They (Fairfield) did the job inside and got to the line frequently,” Dunne added.
2. Shots were there but not falling. “We had open looks but a lot did not fall,” Dunne lamented. St. Peter’s did hit 51% from the field (Fairfield checked in at an even higher 53%), but one of their main threats of late, freshman guard Lamin Fulton scored 5 points on 2 of 9 shooting from the floor. “We saw on tape what Fulton could do,” Fairfield assistant Brian Nash said. “It was a defensive priority to pressure him all over and not give him a good look.” Mission accomplished.
3. The numbers tell the story. The basic efficiency and pace metrics:

Possessions:                 Fairfield     68    St. Peter’s           65

Offensive Efficiency:     Fairfield    110   St. Peter’s           97

          Fairfield showed a high turnover rate 27% (to St. Peter’s 22%) but that inside game compensated. The Stags enjoyed a domination in offensive rebounding percentage, 44-20%. In addition, as Dunne noted, they had a big edge getting to the line with a free throw rate advantage of 33-8%. Fairfield was 17 of 23(74%) from the charity stripe to the 4 of 9 (44%) of St. Peter’s.

          Darius Conley and Chris Prescott led St. Peter’s with 16 points. Conley missed a few easy attempts the early part of the second half but the junior forward continued to work and provided offense in the stretch. “They caught him (Conley) defensively a few times inside,” Dunne said, “but he gets after it, he’s a warrior.”

-Ray Floriani