Derek Needham Picks Up Connecticut 6 Player Of The Week Accolades

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Guard Derek Needham earned the Connecticut 6 Player of the Week award after averaging 23 points and 2.5 assists in a 1-1 week for the Fairfield University men's basketball team.

Needham opened his week with a 26-point peformance against Siena College, as the Stags nearly upset the Saints in a 69-67 setback. Needham shot 57 percent from the floor, hitting eight of 14 field goal attempts in the game, and also played all 40 minutes. He followed up with a 20-point performance in an overtime win against Rider, playing 45 minutes against the Broncs. He dished off three assists and picked up a steal in the four-point win.

Needham has scored 20 or more points in four straight games, and is now 22 points away from setting the school record for most points scored by a freshman. He currently has 406 points, trailing only Joe DeSantis' 427 points set during the 1975-76 campaign.

The Stags, under Head Coach Ed Cooley, continue a four-game road swing this week by playing at Manhattan on February 15 and at Vermont on February 20. Fairfield owns a 17-8 overall record and a 10-5 MAAC mark.