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Box Score

                BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Four Fairfield University student-athletes scored in double figures to help the Stags post a 61-52 decision over Rider University. Derek Needham led all Fairfield scorers with 15 points, while Rakim Sanders contributed with 13 points.  Colin Nickerson added 12 points, while Desmond Wade tallied 10 points for the Stags.

                The Stags opened the game with eight straight points as Desmond Wade wrapped a pair of three-point baskets around a Ryan Olander layup to spot Fairfield its early lead. Rider battled back over the next seven minutes and eventually pulled within a pair of points at 17-15 with 10:37 on the clock. Daniel Stewart, the Broncs' leading scorer, led the comeback with five points. The visitors came as close as a point at 20-19 after Stewart made a pair of free throws at the 7:54 mark.

                Fairfield responded seven straight points, the first five coming from Derek Needham, which enabled it to rebuild its lead to eight points at 29-21 with 4:51 remaining. Fairfield's first half lead reached as many as 10 points on three occasions, the last of which came at 35-25 with 2:17 on the clock. Rider would cut the lead to seven points after Anthony Myles made one of two free throws and Dera Nd-Ezuma added a layup, sending the two teams to the locker room with Fairfield holding a 35-28 edge.

                The Broncs started the second half with a layup from Brandon Penn to pull within five points, but Fairfield again would respond with a quick spurt that would allow the home team to secure its nine point lead again at 41-32 at the 14:44 mark. After Penn scored another pair of points, the Stags would put together six consecutive points which included four from Rakim Sanders that would give Fairfield its' biggest lead of the game at 47-34.

                Trailing by 13 points, Rider picked up a break when Jeff Jones was fouled while attempting a three-point shot, which went in. He added the free throw to complete the rare four-point play and brought the visitors within single digits at 47-38 with 10 minutes remaining. The Broncs added two more free throws to bring the deficit down to seven points before Sanders halted the six-point run with a layup, making the score 49-38.

                The lead would continue to hover around nine points as the teams traded baskets and free throws for the next four minutes.  With the score at 53-44 with 5:49 remaining, Rider once again gained a little momentum with a basket plus a free throw that made the score 53-47. Neither team mustered any offense from that point as the two squads did not score for more than three minutes, a streak that ended when Needham hit a shot-clock buzzer beating three pointer that pushed the score to 56-47. Stewart answered with a layup on the other end that kept it a three-possession game at 56-49 with 2:03 remaining.

                Maurice Barrow made one of two free throws with 90 seconds left to make it a 57-49 lead, but Penn came back down the court and brought Rider within six points at 57-51 with a minute remaining. After Jones made one of two free throws, Needham tacked on two more charity tosses for the Stags that pushed the score to 59-52 with 30 seconds remaining.

                Stewart and Penn led all Rider scorers with 11 points.

                Fairfield begins a two-game road trip on Thursday night when it heads to Saint Peter's for a 7 pm game. The trip ends on Sunday afternoon at Marist with tip-off scheduled for 2 pm.