THE OPENING TIP
Fairfield University Men's Basketball takes the court at Webster Bank Arena for the final time in 2021-22 as the Stags host Rider on Thursday, March 3. Opening tip on Senior Day is slated for approximately 7:30 p.m. as the nightcap for a Fairfield Basketball doubleheader.
 

• Webster Bank Arena Box Office – The Box Office is a preferred cashless site. Single game tickets for all Fairfield home games can be purchased in advance at fairfieldstags.com/basketballtix.
• Webster Bank Arena Concessions – All food and beverage vendors will be cashless including the bar inside the Stags Club. All major credit cards are accepted.
• Parking – Parking garage and lots surrounding Webster Bank Arena accept cash only on gameday
• Lil' Stags Bring-a-Friend Night – All Lil' Stags Club members receive free youth admission for a friend (eighth grade and younger) in addition to their own free ticket to the game
• Youth Jersey Night – Discounted youth tickets available at the door for youth fans wearing a basketball jersey
• FREE Student Tickets – Admission is free for current Fairfield University students by presenting a valid StagCard
• FREE Student Shuttle – A student shuttle will run continuously from the BCC traffic circle to Webster Bank Arena beginning at 4 p.m. and through the end of the doubleheader.
• $5 Student Parking – Fairfield students with a StagCard can park in any of outdoor lots surrounding Webster Bank Arena for only $5 (cash only).
• Covid-19 Policy – Per the city of Bridgeport, all spectators are required to wear masks at all times while inside Webster Bank Arena unless actively eating or drinking.

 
SENIOR SALUTE
Prior to tip-off, Fairfield Men's Basketball will recognize graduating senior Tshiefu Ngalakulondi and graduate student tri-captains Taj Benning, Jesus Cruz and Caleb Green.
 
LAST TIME OUT
TJ Long scored a team-best 14 points off the bench, Supreme Cook posted 13 points and eight rebounds, and Taj Benning scored six of his 12 points in the final two minutes of action to power Fairfield to a 66-62 MAAC road win at Manhattan on Sunday afternoon. Fairfield also got nine points from Jake Wojcik as all eight Stags to check into the game contributed to the scoring.
 
Benning's day included Fairfield's final six points of the game, which started by draining a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 62-55 with 1:58 to go. Manhattan made a final push with an Ant Nelson three-pointer and a steal for Jose Perez that led to two free throws, cutting the margin to 62-60.
 
After an empty trip each way, the Stags worked the shot clock into the waning seconds, when Benning hit a tough layup in traffic to make it a 64-60 Fairfield lead with the shot clock off. The Jaspers responded with a quick bucket and then forced a turnover, but strong defense from Cook forced a missed layup, and Benning corralled the rebound. The Stags' captain buried two more crucial free throws to ice the four-point victory.
 
TJ LONG: THREE-TIME MAAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
After leading the Stags with 14 points in the Feb. 27 win at Manhattan, TJ Long was named MAAC co-Rookie of the Week, taking home the award for the third time this season. Long was previously tabbed on Nov. 15 after averaging 12.5 points per game at Providence and Boston College in the first two games of his collegiate career and again on Nov. 29 after posting 16.0 points per game against Stony Brook and Loyola Maryland.
 
THE RIDER UNIVERSITY BRONCS AT A GLANCE
Rider enters the final weekend of the regular season at 11-17 and is 7-11 in the MAAC as one of five teams (Fairfield, Quinnipiac, Niagara, Rider, Manhattan) with seven league wins. The Broncs most recently dropped a 67-61 decision to Iona on Sunday, Feb. 27.
 
Rider's offense ranks eighth in the MAAC scoring 67.4 points per game. The squad is paced by 12.7 points per contest by Dimencio Vaughn and 12.6 points per outing scored by Dwight Murray, Jr. Vaughn is also fourth in the MAAC in rebounding with 7.9 caroms per game while Murray is the conference's top facilitator at 4.6 assists per game.
 
Defensively, Rider ranks eighth in the conference, ceding 69.5 points per game.
 
LAST MEETING: FAIRFIELD 76, RIDER 65 (1/28/22 in Lawrenceville, N.J.)
Taj Benning matched his career high with 24 points and Jake Wojcik netted his third 20-point game of the season to power Fairfield to a 76-65 victory at MAAC foe Rider last Friday. Wojcik also paced the effort on the boards with a team-best eight rebounds.
 
Benning and Wojcik's 44 combined points included nine of the Stags' 11 three-pointers. Benning knocked down a career-best six triples on nine attempts, while Wojcik canned three for his fifth straight game with at least three conversions from downtown.
 
Supreme Cook also reached double figures with 11 points. He also pulled down seven rebounds as the Stags were clipped on the glass, 33-36.
 
Jesus Cruz scored all eight of his points in the first half as the Stags built a 34-24 lead over the opening 20 minutes. Rounding out Fairfield's offensive effort, Chris Maidoh scored six points, TJ Long netted four, Zach Crisler scored two and Allan Jeanne-Rose split a pair of free throws.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Back-to-back wins for the Stags snapped Rider's six-game winning streak in the series and pushed Fairfield back in front on the all-time ledger, 36-34. The Stags' longest win streak against the Broncs is a five-game span from 1964-68.
 
Since Rider joined the MAAC in the 1997-98 season, the Broncs hold a 27-24 advantage, including three postseason meetings. In those tournament games, Rider topped Fairfield in the 2005 MAAC Championship in Buffalo, while the Stags bested Rider in Springfield in 2012 and 2013.
 
The teams were previously league foes in the Tri-State Conference in the 1960s.
 
COMEBACK KIDS
The Feb. 27 win at Manhattan was the Stags' sixth victory this season after trailing in the second half. Fairfield also played from behind during the final 20 minutes in the wins over Sacred Heart, Stony Brook, Holy Cross, Marist and Manhattan. The overtime victory over Stony Brook featured the largest deficit that the Stags faced in an eventual win, trailing by 11 points in the second half. The Feb. 14 win over Canisius marked the latest that the Stags trailed in an eventual win as Fairfield was behind 72-70 when Taj Benning's layup went down as time expired in regulation.
 
FEBRUARY HIBERNATION
Fairfield played just three road games as a part of nine total outings in the month of February. The Stags started the month at Monmouth for the finale of a three-game road swing on Feb. 4 and then played six consecutive home games before returning to the road to challenge Iona on Feb. 20 and Manhattan on Feb. 27.
 
The shortest month of the year also included a stretch of eight MAAC games in just 17 days from Feb. 4-20.
 
UP NEXT
The regular season comes to a close on Saturday, March 5 when the Stags visit Saint Peter's for a 1 p.m. tip.