FAIRFIELD, Conn. – On a day that started with the honoring of the senior class, the Class of 2020 returned the appreciation of fans and the Stags community by scoring 32 of the team's 51 points. But in the end, the Stags were not able to overcome Rider University and ended their home slate with a 65-51 loss to end an era at Alumni Hall. The game also represented the program's last at this on-campus facility.

                Landon Taliaferro led all Fairfield scorers with 15 points, doing most of his damage uncharacteristically from inside the three-point arc. The guard made just one of his five field goals from outside the arc, causing some issues for the Rider defense. Vincent Eze put together another productive game to which many have become accustomed this year. He finished with 14 points and five rebounds, making 10 free throws as he was fouled often whenever he was near the basket. Aidas Kavaliauskas contributed as he always does with his passing and ball-handling skills, scoring three points and dishing off a pair of assists in just 18 minutes on the court due to foul trouble.

          The Broncs led for most of the game including the entire first half as Rider opened with the first six points of the contest. Chris Maidoh put the Stags on the scoreboard with a dunk at the 17:07 mark, bringing the crowd of 2,300 to their feet. Taj Benning netted a pair of free throws on the next possession to pull within a possession at 6-4. Rider scored six of the next seven points to take its biggest lead to that point at 12-5.

                The Stags managed to get the game back to within a possession after two Eze free throws made the score 19-16 with six minutes remaining, but once again Rider's quick strike offense tallied the next six points to gain a nine-point edge with four minutes remaining. The Stags would whittle the lead down to four points at halftime, the last points coming on a Taliaferro jumper with 37 seconds left on the clock to send the team into the locker room with a 27-23 score.

                Fairfield started the second half with an 11-4 spurt which caused its halftime deficit to vanish and be replaced with a three-point lead of its own at 34-31. Jesus Cruz and Eze each scored four points during that opening run in the second half.

                Rider recaptured the lead for good when Tyrei Randall made a corner three-point shot with 10 minutes left in the first half, bringing the score to 42-40. The Broncs were still not done and tacked on seven more points to regain its nine-point lead which would eventually become 14 points on the team's final possession.

                Cruz was the third Fairfield student-athlete to join Taliaferro and Eze in double figures, registering 11 points including a three-point field goal. Stevie Jordan led all Rider scorers with 19 points and was supported by 17 points from Dimencio Vaughn and 14 points from Frederick Scott.

                "Rider is a very good basketball team so it's very difficult for us to beat them by scoring 51 points," Head Coach Jay Young said. "We need to keep working to find those answers offensively. Now we have to go on the road and show some toughness. I like that we are going on the road now because it will give us a taste of what we need to do when we get to the MAAC tournament in Atlantic City."

                The Stags will prepare for their final two regular-season games which sends them to Monmouth University on Wednesday and Manhattan on Friday. A few days after those games, Fairfield will travel to Atlantic City for the MAAC Tournament which begins on March 10.