FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University men's basketball team will finish up the regular-season with a Friday night match up against Manhattan College, the team's second straight road game. The Stags traveled to Monmouth on Wednesday night to begin their two-game run outside Connecticut. 

Fairfield brings an 11-19 overall record and a 7-12 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) mark following Wednesday night's loss to Monmouth. The Stags stayed close through most of the first half and trailed by eight at halftime before they struggled with their shooting over the final 20 minutes. The team netted just two field goals in the second half against the Hawks with both of those shots coming from Landon Taliaferro. The senior ended the game with a team-best 18 points, the only Fairfield student-athlete to reach double figures. Vincent Eze handled the boards for the Stags, collecting a team-best 10 caroms to go along with his five points. The senior went to the line 10 times (five made) after a career-high 14 charity tosses (10 made) one game earlier against Rider.

Taliaferro's performance was his best offensive run since a 21-point effort at Quinnipiac on January 24, and gave the guard his third straight double-digit scoring night. The three-game run represents his longest streak with that qualification since netting 10 or more markers in six straight contests from November 17 at Loyola-Maryland through December 8 versus William & Mary. His 15.0 scoring average over the last three games has improved his season scoring mark which currently stands at a team-best 12.0 points every forty minutes. Jesus Cruz remains the only other Stag with a double-figure average, tossing in 10.9 points per game, with Taj Benning just missing the mark at 9.9 points per contest. 

The Stags also have three solid student-athletes who have controlled the boards this season, led by Eze's 5.8 rebounding average which is still strong enough to reside 10th in among the MAAC leaders. Freshman Chris Maidoh has also hovered around five rebounds per game all season, checking into tonight's action with 4.9 rebounds every forty minutes. Benning rounds out the top three in that category with his 4.6 rebounding average.

Manhattan comes off two road setbacks earlier in the week, falling at Monmouth and at Rider to bring its overall record to 12-16 and its MAAC slate to 8-11. The Jaspers have spent most of the last five weeks on the road, playing five of its last eight games in another school's building. Manhattan fell by a 71-59 count to Rider in its last outing on March 4, despite getting 15 points from Tykei Greene and 14 markers from Christian Hinckson.

Greene continues to lead the team in scoring with 10.4 points every forty minutes followed by Pauly Paulicap's 10 points per game. Warren Williams has produced well as a reserve, netting 8.8 points per date. Paulicap has been dominant on the boards throughout his career and remains one of the top MAAC student-athletes in that category with 6.1 per game. Hinckson has also been a force on the glass as illustrated by his 5.5 caroms per contest.

Following this game, both Fairfield and Manhattan will begin preparation for the 2020 Hercules Tire MAAC Men's Basketball Championship which will be played at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. First round action starts with three games on Tuesday, March 10.