Fairfield uses huge start against Wagner to keep winning streak alive

By Pete Janny (@pete_janny)

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Fairfield hasn’t lost a game since playing Iona on December 1 at Mahoney Arena. Just over two weeks later, the Stags found themselves back in the same building looking to win a fourth straight game for the first time since January of last season.

Against a undermanned Wagner squad, Fairfield took an 19-2 lead that proved to be insurmountable, vaulting itself to a 63-51 home victory. 

In a game with Wagner’s Zaire Williams unavailable, the Stags picked up where they left off against Sacred Heart by staying hot, making enough plays and adjustments when their leads shrunk to power past the Seahawks and keep the winning streak alive. Fairfield went small for a majority of the second half, riding with a lineup of Caleb Fields, Jasper Floyd, Jalen Leach, Brycen Goodine and Louis Bleechmore for 12 minutes while Peyton Smith and Birima Seck looked on from the bench. Once again, the Fairfield guards reprised their roles as difference-makers, riding the clutch play of Leach to continue their assault on opposing guards’ backcourts. 

Leach finished with 20 points for his third 20-point performance this season, with no signs of slowing down. He stayed in attack mode down the stretch and eventually delivered the dagger, a three with 2:40 left that extended the Stags’ lead to 11 points. Leach, who has stayed healthy so far, has fully shown the good things he can do when playing in the shape he is in right now. There is a dynamic element to his game right now, including a penchant to get to the hoop when he wants to, while also keeping defenders honest with his improved outside stroke. Against the Wagner zone, trying to get inside and navigate to the paint was a challenge, but that didn’t stop Leach from captivating the crowd with a tough driving layup despite being fouled and his body falling back toward the baseline. That broke a 7-0 run for Wagner at the 7:13 mark of the second half, and also put an end to a near-four minute scoring drought for Fairfield, which was buried with a strong final few minutes.

“He’s finally able to be Jalen and people can see how talented he is,” interim coach Chris Casey said, alluding to Leach’s long road to getting fully healthy. “I’m happy for him.”

Fairfield’s dream start to the game included hitting four of its first eight threes, including two from Goodine. As a team, Fairfield only went 7-of-24 from long distance, failing to match any of its totals during the current winning streak, which has reached as high as nine triples against Rider. Although more threes would have put Wagner away earlier, Fairfield made enough adjustments to withstand anything Wagner threw at the Stags. Casey eschewed substitutions over the final 12:53, and it worked. The closest Wagner got was within six. 

“I just felt that was what we needed,” Casey said on taking a small-ball approach. “Guys on the floor that could make shots and put the ball on the floor to make plays and to handle the pressure. We were much better against the zone in the second half.”

Playing small was not absolute for Casey, but more so situational. Wagner’s Melvin Council, Jr. really came on in the second half after struggling early, and Julian Brown and Tyje Kelton were able to beat Fairfield off the dribble at times. Casey countered by playing his trove of guards all at once, fused with the elite athleticism of Bleechmore, the tallest player at 6-foot-6.

Bleechmore plays taller than he is due to his athleticism and willingness to get physical inside. The Stags struggled on the boards at times, which included allowing Wagner to grab 14 offensive rebounds, and Casey needed the Australian to do the yeoman’s work he prides himself on. Bleechmore added nine rebounds in addition to his 11 points, which was one of three double-digit scoring totals for the Stags alongside Leach’s 20 and Goodine’s 15. 

“It’s one of my roles especially when we go small,” Bleechmore said about rebounding. “It doesn’t matter who’s down there, I’m gonna jump over them and grab the rebound and do what I do best, which is play team basketball.”

Bleechmore is getting his shots too when he’s not rebounding. He has had back-to-back solid offensive showings after being a non-factor for a few games. He hit his ninth three of the season against Wagner, and almost had another highlight play on a baseline inbounds play, but just couldn’t get a good enough grip on the ball. The good news is his selfless teammates are looking for him and he knows those types of athletic plays will continue to get drawn for him.

“We run it fairly often,” Bleechmore said of the inbounds play. “Sometimes it’s a hit or miss. Last game against Sacred Heart, I got a nice dunk off of it.”

The last time Fairfield won five straight games was during the 2021-2022 season, and ironically that fifth one came against Fairleigh Dickinson on the road. The Stags, now 5-6 on the season, have a chance to repeat history when they visit the Knights again on Thursday. Despite Fairfield currently rounding out its non-conference schedule with the last four games against teams from the Northeast Conference, Bleechmore says the high-flying Stags are just focused on working hard and letting the rest figure itself out. 

“It’s more of an us thing and how we can improve to get better,” Bleechmore said. “We always place respect on our opponents no matter what their record is, no matter who they have. We just make sure we play hard every game.”