The Two-Week Sports Ledger
Covering games and standings from January 6–January 20, 2026
January Tightens the Screws as Fairfield Programs Trade Blows in League Play
Close finishes, late pushes, and shifting league positions defined the past two weeks across town.
Mid-January delivered the familiar grind across local gyms and rinks, where small runs carried outsized weight and standings refused to settle. The clearest snapshot came on Jan. 16, when Fairfield Ludlowe High School edged Westhill 53–51 in overtime, a game decided by Lorenzo Stabilini’s jumper at the horn. In a league packed from top to bottom, the moment reflected the Falcons’ reality: competitive every night and separated by a possession from climbing—or slipping—within the table. Ludlowe sits 6–6 in the FCIAC, squarely in the middle of the race.
Across town, Fairfield Warde High School showed similar resolve, if not the result, in a Jan. 16 loss to New Canaan. Joe Fitzpatrick and Ryan Tully each scored 16 points, with Brandon Stewart-Jones adding 11, as Warde pushed late to cut into the deficit. The Mustangs’ current 4–6 FCIAC mark keeps them within reach of the pack, where a single strong week can quickly change placement.
On the ice, Fairfield College Preparatory School continued to translate results into recognition. Prep’s 5–1 win over Simsbury on Jan. 9 anchored a stretch that culminated in a rise to No. 3 in the statewide GameTimeCT boys hockey poll dated Jan. 20—a midseason marker that matters in a sport where depth and consistency define February.
For Notre Dame High School Fairfield, the two-week window mixed momentum with adversity. The Lancers secured a 62–56 basketball win over Bunnell on Jan. 8, steadying their footing, before enduring a tough night on the ice in a 12–2 loss to New Canaan on Jan. 19, a reminder of the unforgiving January cadence.
Fairfield Women Surge Ahead as MAAC Play Clarifies the Picture
An unbeaten run on one side and a road-heavy test on the other shaped the Stags’ two weeks.
Conference play has begun to draw clear lines for Fairfield University, and the contrast between the programs is unmistakable. The women continued to separate themselves from the field, extending an unbeaten MAAC run with an emphatic 86–50 win over Siena on Jan. 19. The result pushed Fairfield to 15–3 overall and 9–0 in conference, an 11-game winning streak that reflects both defensive control and depth as the calendar turns toward February.
The men’s side navigated a tougher stretch. Fairfield opened the window with solid home performances—68–62 over Rider on Jan. 9 and 98–62 over Manhattan on Jan. 14—before running into resistance on the road. Losses at Marist (82–67 on Jan. 17) and Siena (85–77 on Jan. 19) left the Stags at 11–9 overall and 3–6 in the MAAC, a position that keeps them in the middle of a compressed conference race where consistency away from home will prove decisive.
Sacred Heart Builds Momentum as Conference Play Deepens
Late-January results suggest progress, even as the standings remain crowded.
For Sacred Heart University, the past two weeks were about traction. The men’s basketball team closed the window on a high note, earning a road win at Siena (86–80 on Jan. 14) before erupting for a 105–85 victory at Rider on Jan. 19. Those results nudged the Pioneers to 7–13 overall and 3–6 in the MAAC, paired with a two-game winning streak that hints at offensive rhythm emerging at the right time.
The women remained firmly in the conference mix. A 70–58 win over Siena on Jan. 14 set the tone, followed by a 64–54 loss at Rider on Jan. 17 and a narrow 56–54 victory over Marist on Jan. 19. The sequence left Sacred Heart at 8–10 overall and 6–3 in MAAC play, a position that keeps the Pioneers within striking distance as the league schedule intensifies.
Men’s and women’s ice hockey results for Sacred Heart were not included in the current data window; coverage will expand once verified game results and standings are available.
One Shot, One Surge, One Statement Week
Moments that defined the last two weeks across Fairfield.
If January has a sound, it’s the echo of a ball hitting the floor as time expires. On Jan. 16, Lorenzo Stabilini’s overtime buzzer-beater lifted Ludlowe past Westhill and distilled the essence of league play: patience, defense, and a single chance that decides a night.
A few days earlier, on the ice, Fairfield Prep delivered a different kind of statement. The 5–1 win over Simsbury on Jan. 9 wasn’t just a result—it was a performance that carried into the polls, pushing Prep to No. 3 statewide by Jan. 20 and signaling a team comfortable with expectations.
At the college level, separation arrived in waves. Fairfield’s women announced it with an 86–50 dismantling of Siena on Jan. 19, a scoreline that reads less like survival and more like control. Two nights earlier, Sacred Heart’s men sent their own message on the road, pouring in 105 points at Rider, a reminder that confidence can flip quickly once shots start falling.
Together, those moments—one shot, one surge, one emphatic win—captured the rhythm of mid-January. The margins are thin, the standings unforgiving, and the calendar relentless. For Fairfield teams, the next two weeks promise the same test, only louder.
