Sunday, March 2nd, 2:00 p.m. (et).

FACTS & STATS: Site: Alumni Gym (1,650) -- Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Television: None. Home Record: Fairfield 7-6, Rider 10-2. Away Record: Fairfield 7-8, Rider 9-5. Neutral Record: Fairfield 0-0, Rider 1-2. Conference Record: Fairfield 11-6, Rider 12-5. Series Record: Fairfield leads, 23-18.

GAME NOTES: Locked in a three-way tie for first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference heading into the final day of the regular season, the Rider Broncs try to set themselves apart as they host the Fairfield Stags this afternoon at Alumni Gym. On Friday night, the Broncs won their second straight game with an 88-76 defeat of Saint Peter's at home, moving the squad to 12-5 in league play which is where both Siena and Loyola-Maryland currently stand heading into Sunday's action. As if that were not enough, both Niagara and Fairfield are right behind the threesome with 11-6 marks in conference. The Stags kept their hopes alive for a strong seeding in the upcoming MAAC Tournament by defeating the Manhattan Jaspers two nights ago, 83-71. This contest has Rider thinking revenge though, seeing as how the Stags posted an 88-76 win in the first meeting between the squads last month. As a result of that triumph, Fairfield leads the all-time series by a count of 23-18.

Jonathan Han was one of four players to score in double figures for the Stags as he dropped in a team-high 21 points on Friday night, adding a team-best seven assists along the way in the win over Manhattan. Anthony Johnson came up a rebound shy of a double-double as he tallied 15 points, followed by Herbie Allen and Mike Evanovich with 15 and 11 points, respectively. Han, the leading scorer in each of the last two games for the Stags, is currently the only one hitting for double figures on the season overall with his 11.6 ppg. Not only is he shooting an outstanding 45.1 percent from three-point range, he's also distributed a lofty 174 assists, which gives him nearly three times as many dishes as any of his teammates. As a unit, the Stags enter the weekend ranked first in the MAAC in scoring defense, allowing just 68.4 ppg over the course of 28 games.

The Thompson brothers were at it again on Friday night as they combined to post 45 points and 19 rebounds in the win over Saint Peter's at home. Jason Thompson continues to make a strong case for MAAC Player of the Year honors with his team-highs of 33 points and 12 boards, shooting an impressive 13-of-18 from the floor as he also added three assists, three blocks and a pair of steals. Harris Mansell and Mike Ringgold both made 6-of-10 shots from the floor to finish with 18 and 13 points, respectively. Jason Thompson enters the weekend as one of the top-three rebounders in the nation, averaging 11.8 boards per outing and while that would be enough for most players, he is also producing a team-best 20.4 ppg, is first with an incredible 82 blocked shots and has accounted for 83 assists which tells the story of a complete player that needs even more recognition. Rider is currently ranked first in the league in scoring offense with 77.7 ppg, and has the best scoring margin with a plus-6.8 ppg as well.

Both of these teams have great scoring potential, but working in Rider's favor is a feeling of revenge for losing the first meeting of the season versus the Stags, not to mention still fighting for the top spot in the upcoming conference tournament.

Predicted Outcome

Rider 77, Fairfield 72