Jan. 11, 2000
Fairfield University senior center Darren Phillip (Brooklyn, N.Y.) received his first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week award for this season after averaging 18.5 points and 21 rebounds per game. He shot 63 percent from the floor (10 of 16) and 77 percent from the free throw line (17-22) in the two games.
Phillip, a graduate of South Shore High School, opened the week with 19 points and a MAAC record 25 rebounds as the Stags earned a 78-72 road victory against Marist College on January 5. The 25 rebounds eclipsed Phillip's previous conference record of 24, which he set against Loyola (Md.) in December, 1998. The center finished the week with a 18-point, 17-rebound performance against Siena College, as he made seven of eight from the floor while recording three assists and two steals.
Phillip remains the top rebounder in Division I basketball, averaging 13.2 caroms per contest. He briefly led the nation in rebounding last season, before finishing the campaign ranked 15th in Division I. Phillip currently is the only player in the MAAC to average a double-double, registering 13.1 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. He has already recorded seven double-doubles and has tallied 16 rebounds or more in five outings.
Fairfield University currently owns a 4-8 overall record and a 2-2 MAAC mark, under second-year head coach Tim O'Toole. The Stags return to action on January 15 when they travel to Jersey City, N.J. for a 7:30 pm matchup against St. Peter's College.
