FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The final home game of a season often carries emotion and celebration with it. Seniors are honored, accomplishments are commemorated, and, memories are made. While all of those attributes will ring true on Sunday afternoon for the men's basketball program, there will be more to the day than just the celebration of a year. On this day, the Fairfield University community will come together for the final men's basketball game at Alumni Hall as the construction of the new Arena and Convocation Center is on the horizon.

For more than 60 years, Alumni Hall has provided so many with so much whether it was a buzzer-beating shot, a favorite song from a favorite artist, or a place to come together as a community and share a special event. While the building may be made of concrete and steel, Alumni Hall's support system is the magic and memories it provided to alumni, students, fans, and the town of Fairfield who are grateful for the time that they shared with one another under its distinctive curved roof.

The Stags will host Rider University on Sunday at 2 pm, a game which will close out the 2019-20 season. Before the game, Head Coach Jay Young and his team will also honor this year's senior class with a pregame ceremony as Vincent Eze, Landon Taliaferro, and Aidas Kavaliauskas who will play their final home game of their career. Eze joined the Stags as a graduate student and is leading the team in rebounding with 5.7 per game.  Kavaliauskas has dished off 219 assists and recorded 77 steals in 70 career appearances. Taliaferro has 147 three point field goals and is one of three Stags to record 90 three pointers in a season (2018-19). 

Most games at this point of the season have a great deal of meaning and this matchup is no different. With just three games left on Fairfield's docket and two dates on Rider's slate, this contest will give both teams an opportunity to shore up and improve their seeding in the upcoming Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship which takes place in Atlantic City beginning on March 10.

While the past will be prevalent on Sunday, spectators will turn their attention to the Stags' home finale with Rider.  For the second time in this four-game home stand, the Stags were involved in a contest that was decided in the closing seconds. On Friday, the Stags fell to Quinnipiac after going ahead with 15 seconds left only to fall on a three-point field goal at the buzzer. Jesus Cruz put the Stags ahead with a driving layup on Fairfield's final possession of the game, the final tally in his team-best 22 points.  The Stags led four times in the game with Cruz providing the points in two of those lead changes and Landon Taliaferro netting the points in the other two lead changes.

Three Fairfield student-athletes are averaging in double figure, led by Taliaferro's 11.7 scoring average. Cruz ranks second among his teammates with 11.1 points per game followed by Benning's 10.3 points per contest. Vincent Eze, who was saddled with foul trouble against Quinnipiac, only had one rebound which dropped his team-leading average to 5.7 per game.

The Broncs won their 10th home game of the season with 79-67 win over Monmouth, the team's sixth straight victory at Alumni Gymnasium. Tyere Marshall (21 points, 15 rebounds) and Dimencio Vaughn (16 points, 11 rebounds) each posted a double-double in the victory. Down 20-14 against Monmouth, Rider used a 24-4 run that included 16 straight points to take a 13-point lead which the Broncs not surrender for the rest of the game.

Rider enters this game as the top scoring team in the MAAC, averaging 72.0 points per game. Vaughn leads the team in scoring with his 14.6 points per game, one of four double-digit scorers for the Broncs. Marshall places second with his 13.1 points every forty minutes, followed Frederick Scott (12.5 ppg) and Stevie Jordan (11.1 ppg). Marshall is the team's top rebounder with 8.3 per game.

Game Promotions
Pregame
Make sure you are in your seats by 1:40 as the men's basketball team recognizes the senior class for their dedication to the program.

Halftime
Men's basketball alumni, former coaches and managers in attendance will be recognized at half court. Upon arrival to the Alumni Hall lobby, all men's basketball alumni, former coaches and managers must check in with an athletics staff member at the designated table in order to properly coordinate the halftime ceremony. Please email Zach Dayton, Deputy Athletics Director at zdayton@fairfield.edu with any questions.

Postgame
All fans in attendance are invited onto the court after the game to take a photo at half court. The complete photo gallery will be posted to FairfieldStags.com and the Fairfield Athletics Facebook page.

Postgame Gathering
All fans are encouraged to visit The Levee on campus after the game.