Sophomore Derek Needham (Dolton, Ill.) earned the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Week award after leading the Fairfield University men's basketball team to two road wins last week.

The guard averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in the two games, highlighted by a 23-point effort against Manhattan. He played all 40 minutes against the Jaspers. Needham followed up with 18 points in a one-point overtime win against Saint Peter's, dishing off four assists and picking up three steals. He shot 44 percent from the floor, 56 percent from three-point range, and 77 percent from the free throw line in the two games.

Needham enters this week as the team's top scorer, averaging 14.4 points per game. His scoring average ranks sixth in the MAAC. He is the team's top three-point shooter with 55 long-range baskets. He also leads the team with 121 assists, averaging 4.9 assists per game.

The Fairfield University men's basketball team, under Head Coach Ed Cooley, owns a 20-5 overall record and a 13-2 MAAC mark. The Stags, who stand in first place in the conference standings, host Marist College on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard. The team will also host Austin Peay University on Saturday at 1 pm as part of the Sears Bracketbusters, a game which will air live on ESPNU. Game time is slated for 1 p.m.

Posted On: 02-14-2011 10:02 AM

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