If the Fairfield Stags were still flying a mile high after upsetting top-ranked Denver this weekend, coach Andy Copelan put them back on the ground during Monday's practice. The win locked up a spot in the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament, with one game to go in the regular season, and assured Fairfield of finishing .500 or better for a school -record fifth straight season. The Stags, who vaulted back into the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Coaches Poll at No. 20, close the regular season Saturday at Ohio State. Fairfield's win marks just the second time since 1999, according to the school's sports information department, that an unranked school has beaten a No. 1 during the regular season. Fairfield lost to eventual national champion Loyola in last year's ECAC final, marking the second straight season the team fell in the title game.

Nathans, a 2011 Fairfield University graduate who played both soccer and baseball for the Stags, batted .276 for the Westerners in 2010 and helped lead them to the New England Collegiate Baseball League championship series before falling to the North Shore Navigators. Nathans all but rewrote the record book at Fairfield, graduating as the school's all-time leader in hits (263), doubles (61) and triples (10), and second all-time in runs scored with 141, one run shy of the program record, as well as RBIs (155) and batting average (.352).

Sidibe averaged 6.2 points and a team-high 6.0 rebounds for the seventh-seeded Stags, who open tournament play at 9:30 p.m. Friday against No. 10 Saint Peter's in Springfield, Mass. The 6-foot-8 freshman, who started 24 of the 30 games and was ninth in the MAAC in total rebounds, remains in the running for the Rookie of the Year award along with Gilbert. Needham, who was a preseason first-team selection, led Fairfield in scoring with 14.3 points and tied Desmond Wade with 100 assists.

Fairfield men, SHU basketball game days The Stags finish their home regular-season schedule. The game is part of the Ramada BracketBuster series, the Stags' ninth appearance in the event. Derek Needham, Colin Nickerson, and Desmond Wade will be honored before the game on Senior Day. At halftime, the school will honor the 1973 and 1974 NIT teams, the first Fairfield basketball teams to earn a bid to the National Invitation Tournament. ... Fairfield has an 8-4 record in BracketBuster games. ... Albany posted a 75-49 win over Hartford in its last outing. Mike Black leads the team in scoring at 14.9 per game. Pitt Center, Fairfield Saturday is Newtown Community Day at Sacred Heart starting at 11:30 a.m. Among the events are sports clinics, pictures with the SHU cheerleaders and autograph sessions with the basketball teams. Pitt Center, Fairfield No. 2, the Pioneers hope to improve their winning streak to 10 games by handing the Bobcats their first loss in the final regular season game between the two schools as Northeast Conference rivals.

Sacred Heart men, women, Fairfield women game days The Pioneers look to shake off a 64-60 loss to Saint Francis, Pa., Thursday night as they take on the second-place Colonials. The Pioneers were without their starting point guard Thursday night as sophomore Phil Gaetano missed his first game due to illness. The Sacred Heart offense struggled, shooting just 36.8 percent (21-57) and scoring just 60 points, a season low in NEC games. ... Robert Morris at Sacred Heart women After delivering head coach Ed Swanson his 400th win on Tuesday night, the Sacred Heart women's basketball team looks to extend its seven-game win streak against Robert Morris. The Pioneers are celebrating Think Pink Day for breast cancer awareness. The team will be wearing pink shoelaces and pink warm-up shirts to bring awareness to the cause. ... The Colonials, on a two-game win streak, are looking for revenge after the Pioneers stole a 70-66 win earlier in the season, coming back from a 12-point deficit in the last minutes of the game. Saturday is Dads and Daughters Day at Alumni Hall. All dads and daughters will receive $1 admission and have the opportunity to enter contests together to win prizes. ...