FAIRFIELD, CT – Flash Burton (Philadelphia, PA/Cardinal O'Hara) scored a career-high 27 points and Zion Cruz (Trenton, NJ/Donda [DePaul/Pratt CC]) added 19, but the Rider University men's basketball team fell at Fairfield, 68-62, Friday night at Leo D. Mahoney Arena. Rider (1-13, 0-5 MAAC) erased a 14-point second-half deficit to take a 60-59 lead with just over four minutes left. But the Stags (10-7, 2-4 MAAC) answered with an 8-0 run to secure the victory.

After the teams exchanged the game's first four buckets, Fairfield went on a 10-0 run to establish a lead it would not relinquish until late in the second. Rider responded with the next three points to make it 14-7, before Fairfield pushed its lead back to the double digits for the remainder of the period, maxing its lead at 14, 27-13, on a Deuce Turner three with 5:26 left. The Stags settled for a 34-22 advantage at the break. Burton led Rider with 13 points in the period.

Rider used an 8-2 run sparked by consecutive Cruz three-pointers to cut the deficit to seven just over five minutes into the second half. The Broncs later scored six-straight to cut the deficit to four just past the midway point of the period and took their first lead of the game, 59-58, with a 9-0 run capped by Burton's runner while being fouled at the 4:11 mark. But Fairfield would score the next eight points and 10 of the final 13 to come away with the victory.

Notes
- Fairfield has had the Broncs' number of late, winning the last five meetings to push its lead in the all-time series to 42-36.
- In each of the last two meetings in Fairfield, the Broncs erased a 14-point deficit and led with just under four minutes remaining before the Stags ultimately surged ahead.
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- Burton scored a career-high 27 points on 10-of-16 from the floor, including 1-of-5 from long range, and 6-of-10 from the free-throw line. He played all but 24 seconds of regulation. Burton's previous career high of 21 came twice – Jan. 18, 2025 at Marist and Nov. 15, 2025 vs. Eastern.
- Cruz added 19 points on 8-of-17 from the floor, including 3-of-7 from deep. He added two assists and a steal.
- Davis Bynum (O'Fallon, IL/East St. Louis [Cal St. Fullerton]) chipped in with eight points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench.
- Caleb Smith (Atlanta, GA/Fredrick Douglass [Garden City CC]) grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and added two assists and a steal.
- For the game, the Broncs outshot the Stags, 43.6 percent (24-55) to 35.5 percent (22-62).
- Fairfield took a 30.8 percent (8-26) to 25.0 percent (4-16) advantage from beyond the three-point arc and a 72.7 percent (16-22) to 55.6 percent (10-18) edge from the free-throw line.
- The Stags outrebounded the Broncs, 45-37, including a 17-10 margin on the offensive glass, leading to a 23-3 discrepancy in second-chance points.
- Rider took a 10-2 advantage in fast-break points.
- The Stags led for 37:07 of game time to the Broncs' 26 seconds with the lead.

Up Next
The Broncs return to MAAC play Sunday, when they play host to Marist. Opening tip from Alumni Gym is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.