LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Zion Cruz (Trenton, NJ/Donda [DePaul/Pratt CC]) scored a team-high 15 points, but the Rider University men's basketball team fell to Fairfield, 69-49, Friday night at Alumni Gym. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 10-17 (6-10 MAAC), while the Stags improve to the same 10-17 (6-10 MAAC).

Fairfield opened the scoring with the first six points of the game and never trailed. The Broncs cut the deficit to 8-6 and still trailed just 11-8 before the Stags opened things up with a 22-4 run to push their advantage to 33-12 with 8:20 left in the period. A 9-0 Rider run cut the Fairfield lead to 33-21, before the Stags scored 10 of the final 11 points of the period to take a 43-22 lead into the locker room at halftime. T.J. Weeks Jr. (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken Catholic [UMass]) led the Broncs with eight points in the opening 20 minutes.

Rider cut the deficit to as few as 14 points on three occasions in the second half, but could draw no closer.

Quotes & Notes
"Not the performance I was looking coming down the stretch, understanding the magnitude of every game. I thought I had our guys prepared, but obviously I didn't. So this is on me." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- The Stags have won four-straight over the Broncs to push their lead in the all-time series to 41-36.  
- Rider played a MAAC contest decided by double digits for just the fourth time this season in 16 games.
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- Cruz scored 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including 1-of-4 from long range, to go along with 4-of-6 from the free-throw line.
- Weeks Jr. also finished in double figures with 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
- Tariq Ingraham (Philadelphia, PA/Bonner-Prendergast [Wake Forest]) added eight points and a team-high eight rebounds.
- Flash Burton (Philadelphia, PA/Cardinal O'Hara) chipped in with six points and three steals.
- The Stags outshot the Broncs, 58.3 percent (28-48) to 32.7 percent (17-52), including a 58.8 percent (10-17) to 16.7 percent (3-18) margin from beyond the three-point arc.
- The Broncs took a 66.7 percent (12-18) to 42.9 percent (3-7) advantage from the free-throw line.
- Fairfield outrebounded Rider, 34-28. However, the Broncs took a 9-4 edge on the offensive glass.

Up Next
The Broncs return to action Sunday afternoon, when they travel to Mount St. Mary's. Opening tip from Emmitsburg, MD, is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.