LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – Over the last two weeks, no one has been consistent in the scoring column as junior Taj Benning. Tonight, the junior posted a career-high 19 points in the Stags' 68-52 loss to Rider University, the third time in the last five games that the guard has tallied or tied his personal best in scoring.

                The run started with a career-best 15 points against Saint Peter's, a number which he tied in the next game at Iona. And tonight, Benning scored 13 points in the first half which helped stake the Stags a 29-26 halftime lead.

                Rider jumped out early despite both teams showing signs of a long layoff. After Fairfield led in the opening minutes, the Broncs used a 7-0 run to take its biggest lead of the first half, a five-point edge at 9-4 that the team would equal a few more times until Fairfield found its rhythm offensively.

                With the score standing at 13-8, Fairfield went on a 12-2 run that erased the five-point deficit and spotted the Stags with its own five-point lead at 20-15. Five different Stags scored during that run with Benning capping the streak on a three-point shot from the right elbow extended. The Broncs answered with back-to-back baskets to pull within a point but Benning ended the brief Rider run with another 10-footer that placed the lead back to three points. The advantage would remain at three points at intermission with Fairfield enjoying a 29-26 at the buzzer.

                Looking at a deficit to start the second half, Rider started with a 20-7 run over the eight minutes of the game that produced a double-digit advantage for the home team, 46-36, with 12:21 on the clock. The Stags shows some life over the next few minutes, scoring six straight points off a running one-hander from Cruz, a free throw from Allan Jeanne-Rose, and another three-point shot from Benning.

                "You have to give credit to Rider because they came out in the second half and played with a purpose and we didn't," Head Coach Jay Young said. "This game was decided in the first five minutes when we couldn't get any stops. We have to defend and rebound because if we don't we will continue to get the same results."

                With the score standing at 46-40, Rider doubled its lead with an 11-5 spurt that pushed the score to 57-45 at the 5:45 mark of the second half. Fairfield came within nine points at 59-50 with four minutes left but could not come any closer.

                Vincent Eze added nine points while Jesus Cruz scored all seven of his points in the second half. Chris Maidoh put together another dominate night on the boards, securing six rebounds to pace all Stags. Dimencio Vaughn was Rider's top scorer with 15 points, netting six of his 10 field goal attempts and added seven rebounds to his totals.

                Fairfield will have the weekend off before beginning a stretch that will feature five games in 13 days. Fortunately, the string of games begins at home with the Stags hosting Monmouth University on Tuesday night at Webster Bank Arena. The game is scheduled for a 7 pm tip.