Game Notes

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University men's basketball team continues its three-game road swing with a Monday night match up with Rutgers University. The game is slated for a 7:30 tip and can be heard live on WICC (600 AM) and WVOF (88.5 FM). 

The Stags are coming off a season-opening win against Sacred Heart University as part of the Connecticut 6 Classic at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Fairfield surrendered the first six points of the game before netting the next nine points to take the lead for good. The team held its biggest lead during the second half, a 20-point edge midway through the period.

Derek Needham led all Fairfield scorers with 13 points, while Colin Nickerson added 11 points. Ryan Olander nearly posted a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds, one of Fairfield nine student-athletes who scored in the game.

Rutgers brings an 0-1 record into the game, dropping an overtime decision against Princeton University. The loss spoiled the debut of first-year Head Coach Mike Rice, who came to the Scarlet Knights from Robert Morris University.

Rice has never faced Fairfield as a head coach, but owns a 3-1 record against the Stags as an assistant coach. He split a pair of games as an assistant at Niagara University in 1997-98, and also split two games as an assistant at Saint Joseph's in 2004 (L) and 2005 (W).