Box Score 

            LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - Lyndon Jordan scored a career-high 18 points while Herbie Allen added 15 points as the Fairfield University men's basketball team dropped a 73-69 decision to Rider University on Sunday afternoon.

            The Broncs hit their first two shots of the game which put the home team in front 5-0. Mike Evanovich broke through for the Stags with his first three-point shot of the half, cutting the lead to 5-3. Rider regained its five-point advantage after Kevin Vosilla made a pair of free throws, and kept that spread for a good part of the first half.

            Still trailing by five points at 25-20, the Stags scored five straight points to tie the game after Jamal Turner scored his first hoop of the game and Evanovich hit a three pointer with 6:20 on the clock. The Broncs built a four-point lead back with a 6-2 spurt, making the score 31-27, but Fairfield answered with another 5-0 run that gave the Stags their first lead of the game at 32-31. Herbie Allen, who led the team with 12 first-half points, pushed the visitors in front with a three-point shot with 3:41 remaining in the half.

            Allen's points would be the last for the Stags in the half, enabling Rider to finish the half with a 10-0 run and take a 41-32 lead into half time.

            The Stags quickly put themselves back into the game by keeping Rider scoreless over the first four minutes of the second half while putting seven points on the board to decrease the deficit to 41-39 with 15:57 left in the second half. Lyndon Jordan and Evanovich each hit a three-point basket during that initial run.

            Novar Gadsen hit a pair of free throws after the media timeout at 15:57 which started a 7-0 Rider run and regained its nine point lead at 48-39. Lyndon Jordan put Fairfield back in the game with a three-point shot which made the score 48-42. Ryan Thompson responded with his own three-point shot for Rider, before Yorel Hawkins scored off back-to-back layups to close the game to 51-46 at the 12:58 mark.

             Rider increased its lead steadily over the next few minutes pushing the lead to as many as nine points at 69-60 with 3:23 remaining. The Stags used a 9-0 run to tie the game off Jordan's lay up at the 1:36 mark, making the score 69-69. Harris Mansell came down court on Rider's next possession and netted his only field goal of the half, giving the home team a 71-69 lead.

            After Fairfield missed on its next possession, Ryan Thompson made a pair of free throws to ice the game at 73-69. Thompson finished the game with a game-high 22 points. Rider outscored Fairfield by an 18-8 margin at the free throw line as the Broncs had 10 more free throw attempts in the game (21-11).

            The Stags return to action next Saturday when they play their first MAAC tournament game against Manhattan College. Game time is slated for 2:30 pm.