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FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- A national audience will witness the battle for first place on Friday night when the Stags take on Iona College at the Hynes Center. The game will be broadcasted live on ESPNU beginning at 9 pm. The Gaels currently hold first place with a 13-3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) record while the Stags and Loyola University are tied for second with a 12-4 conference mark.

Fairfield has won seven straight MAAC games dating back which began with its 81-53 victory against Marist on January 29. The team's last loss in the conference came two days earlier, a 71-62 setback to Iona at Webster Bank Arena. The Stags' seven-game conference win streak is second longest this season, trailing Manhattan's eight-game run earlier in the season.

Head Coach Sydney Johnson's team has done it with defense over the last few games, allowing only one of its last five opponents to reach 60 points in a game. In three of the last four MAAC games, the opposition failed to reach 20 points by halftime. The team leads the MAAC in scoring defense by allowing just over 60 points per game.

Senior Rakim Sanders remains the team's top scorer, posting 16.5 points per game. He just missed a double-double in each of his last two games by one rebounds, scoring 21 points against Milwaukee and 12 markers versus Marist. Derek Needham led all Fairfield scorers in the Marist win with 16 points, raising his season scoring average to 12.0 points every forty minutes. Ryan Olander netted three three-point baskets against the Red Foxes, the fourth time that the center netted that many in a game.

Iona looks to build on its 22-6 overall record, winning seven of its last eight games. The Gaels come off a six-point win over the University of Nevada in a televised Sears Bracketbusters game. The team has enjoyed a great deal of success at home, winning eight of nine outings this year.

Robert Glover is one of three Gaels to average in double figures this season, posting 18.5 points. He is just shy of averaging a double-double by securing 9.3 rebounds per contest. Lamont Jones is next in line with a 16.2 scoring average, while Scott Machado averages a double-double with 13.3 points and 10 assists per game.

The Stags will finish up the regular season on Sunday afternoon when they head to Rider University for a 3:30 pm. The game will be broadcasted live on ESPN3.