BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Interstat) — In a pivotal late-season Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference clash, the Fairfield Stags used a dominant first-half performance and a decisive rebounding advantage to secure a 72-58 victory over the Siena Saints on Friday night at Webster Bank Arena.

The win, witnessed by a crowd of 2,425, pulled both teams even in the standings at 19-11 overall, setting up a tight race for seeding with the conference tournament on the horizon. The game’s most critical phase came early, as Fairfield established a commanding lead that Siena could never overcome.

Fueled by the interior presence of Isaac Munkadi and the scoring of Braden Sparks, the Stags raced out to a 14-point halftime lead. Fairfield scored 37 points in the opening period while holding Siena to just 23, a deficit from which the Saints would spend the entire second half trying to recover. The Stags’ efficiency was stark, shooting 51.7% from the floor for the game, while Siena managed only a 35.5% clip.

Siena’s Gavin Doty, a junior from Fulton, New York, delivered a heroic individual effort to keep his team within striking distance. He scored a game-high 26 points, including 10 in the final five minutes as the Saints attempted a late rally. His driving layup with 1:41 remaining cut the Fairfield lead to 67-61, applying momentary pressure.

Fairfield, however, had an answer every time. Following Doty’s basket, Deuce Turner of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, immediately responded with a layup of his own while being fouled. He completed the three-point play, pushing the lead back to nine and effectively extinguishing Siena’s final threat. Turner finished with 17 points, providing crucial backcourt scoring alongside Sparks, who led the Stags with 19 points and added two assists and a block.

The statistical story of the game was written on the glass. Fairfield’s 12 offensive rebounds, compared to Siena’s five, led to 14 second-chance points and allowed the Stags to maintain control despite committing 17 turnovers. Munkadi, a 6-foot-10 forward from Kinshasa, Congo, was instrumental in that effort, grabbing four offensive boards as part of his 13-point, nine-rebound night. Declan Wucherpfennig of Teaneck, New Jersey, also chipped in 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds for Fairfield.

Siena’s offense, outside of Doty, struggled to find consistency. The Saints went just 4 of 23 from three-point range and recorded only six assists on 22 made field goals. Justice Shoats of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, facilitated with six assists and added nine points, while Francis Folefac of Lanham, Maryland, contributed nine points and two blocks.

After trailing by as many as 16 in the second half, Siena did mount a sustained push, outscoring Fairfield 35-35 after the break. A 7-0 run capped by a Christian Jones three-pointer brought the Saints to within 65-58 with 3:35 to play, forcing a Fairfield timeout. The Stags regrouped, and a key defensive stop followed by Turner’s three-point play on the ensuing possession halted the comeback for good.

The victory gave Fairfield a measure of revenge for an 85-77 loss to Siena in Loudonville just over a month ago on Jan. 19. Both teams now look ahead to their regular season finales on Sunday, with Siena hosting Rider and Fairfield welcoming Mount Saint Mary’s, as they jockey for position entering the MAAC tournament.