FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University men's basketball team will host Quinnipiac University on Friday night as the Stags play their final two home games of the 2019-20 season. The weekend also includes a Sunday afternoon matchup with Rider University at 2 pm. Both games will be played at Alumni Hall.

 The Stags are coming off a 62-59 setback against Siena last Sunday, holding the MAAC's top scoring team in check. The Saints came into the game averaging 72.6 points per game but the Fairfield defense kept the opposition more than 10 points under their season average. This was not the first time that the Stags' defense frustrated the opposition as Fairfield leads the MAAC in scoring defense by allowing 63.2 points per game.

Against Siena, Vincent Eze was a force inside for the Stags, scoring 14 points by netting six of 10 field goal attempts and adding eight rebounds. Taj Benning was next in line with 11 points, his eighth double-figure scoring game in the last 12 contests. With Eze's play, the Stags were able to score 36 points in the paint, the 12th time that Fairfield managed 30 or more points in the lane. Fairfield's high for second-chance points stands at 44 points set at Niagara and Loyola Maryland.

Landon Taliaferro leads the team in scoring with his 11.7 scoring average, followed by Jesus Cruz's 10.7 points per game and Taj Benning's 10.1 points every forty minutes. Vincent Eze places first among his teammates with his 5.9 rebounding average, a number which places 10th among MAAC student-athletes.

The Bobcats will play the second of three games in five days when they head to Fairfield. Quinnipiac hosted Siena on Wednesday night and finishes with a home game against Marist on Sunday. The team started this week with an 84-77 loss to the Saints at home despite securing 26 points from Rich Kelly and another double-double from Kevin Marfo. Trailing by nine points at the half, Quinnipiac used a 13-5 run to cut the deficit to one point early in the second half and would eventually tie the score with 14 minutes remaining. The Saints scored the next 10 points to take command of the game.

Kelly netted five three pointers in the Siena game, keeping in the top spot for three pointers made per game in the MAAC (2.7). The Bobcats rank seventh nationally with their 10.1 three pointers per game as a team. Kelly averages a team-best 16.7 points per contest which places him second among conference scoring leaders. Marfo leads the nation in rebounding with 13.1 per game and is tied for eighth in the country with 16 double-doubles. He completes his season double-double average with 10.1 points per game, joining Siena's Manny Camper as the only two MAAC student-athletes who are averaging a double-double for the year.

The two games this weekend also represent the final two men's basketball contests to be played at Alumni Hall with the construction of the new Arena and Convocation Center on the horizon. Constructed in 1959, Alumni Hall has been a landmark facility in Stag Country for more than 60 years - home to the University's men's and women's basketball teams as well as the volleyball team.

Game Promotions
RED OUT: It's Fairfield Friday! Wear red to the game to show your support!
 
Student Keychain Giveaway: The first 300 students in attendance will receive a state of Connecticut keychain with the Fairfield F.