LUCAS THE STAG

Breaking down tomorrow's matchup in my annual homecoming game:

SCOUTING RIDER: Ryan Thompson’s 25 points led the Broncs to a 74-71 win Thursday over Manhattan, Rider’s second straight win after losing seven of nine. Thompson, averaging a disappointing 14.9 points, had one of his best games of the season Thursday. … Justin Robinson (12.9 points) leads the MAAC in 3-point shooting (44 percent) and free-throw shooting (92 percent). He put both skills to good use Thursday, when he sunk a 3 with 35 seconds left to give Rider a two-point lead, then hit two free throws with 9.5 seconds left to stretch the lead from one to three. … Mike Ringgold (11 points, 7.1 rebounds) is one of the MAAC’s best defenders, as evident in his performance Thursday, when he held Manhattan’s Rico Pickett to four second-half points. … Novar Gadson (11.1, 7.9) has scored in double figures only once in his last six games while playing through an ankle sprain. … Jhamar Youngblood (7.8 points) is one of several players Tommy Dempsey has used as a fifth starter, though Jermaine Jackson (1.2 points), Brandon Penn (3.8) and Jon Thompson (2.7) are also options.

SCOUTING FAIRFIELD: The Stags are led by freshman point guard Derek Needham, a shoo-in for MAAC Rookie of the Year who’s averaging 15.2 points and 5.8 assists. He’s second in the MAAC in assists and assist/turnover ratio, trailing only Player of the Year candidate Ronald Moore of Siena in both categories. … Senior forward Anthony Johnson is having the best year of what’s been an injury-plagued career. Johnson (14.8 points, 9 rebounds) missed time last year with a life-threatening blood clot in his lungs, only to return this year in top form. He’s been especially dominant of late, having scored 25 points in a loss Sunday at Iona and 23 in Thursday’s win at Loyola … Sophomore forward Yorel Hawkins (14.7 points, 5.4 rebounds) has been Fairfield’s most improved player. His four-point showing Thursday ended a stretch of five straight games in double figures. … Sophomore center Ryan Olander, one of the MAAC’s biggest players at 6-feet-11, is averaging 6.7 points and 4.5 rebounds. … Senior forward Mike Evanovich, soft on defense despite being 6-8, is averaging 6.4 points and shooting 43 percent from 3. … Junior guard Lyndon Jordan (6.2 points) is out with a sprained ankle.