Breaking down tomorrow night's matchup at the Zoo:

SCOUTING FAIRFIELD: The Stags, among the MAAC’s biggest surprises, have continued winning despite a continuing flow of injuries to key players. Fairfield lost Greg Nero and Warren Edney before the season began. The Stags have since lost forward Yorel Hawkins for the season with a knee injury and are also playing without starting guard Lyndon Jordan. But led by star point guard Derek Needham — a shoo-in for MAAC Rookie of the Year — they blew out Saint Peter’s last Friday, then took first-place Siena down to the wire Monday. ... Needham, averaging 16.1 points and 5.6 assists, scored 26 points Monday at Siena. He struggled against Rider last month but still finished with 20 points and 10 assists, though Rider forced him into a sesaon-high-tying eight turnovers. ... Senior forward Anthony Johnson (14.4 points, 9.1 rebounds) is an all-MAAC candidate and a steady presence in the low post. ... Senior forward Mike Evanovich (6.9 points, .46 percent 3-point shooting) hit his first eight 3-point attempts against Rider before missing his final three. ... Junior guard Sean Crawford, pressed into duty by Jordan’s injury, hit four 3s against Siena and has scored a combined 27 points in his last two games, both starts.

SCOUTING RIDER: Led by a resurgent Ryan Thompson, the Broncs have won four of their last five, pulling themselves out of a deep slump after a 3-6 MAAC start. ... Thompson struggled through December and most of January but is averaging 25.3 points over his last four games. Twice — at Fairfield Jan. 30 and against Niagara Monday — he scored a career-high-tying 31 points. ... His scoring average, hovering around 14 points per game for most of the season, is up to 16.1. ... Justin Robinson (13.3 points, 45 percent 3-point shooting) has scored 14 or more points in four straight games. ... Novar Gadson, still playing through pain after sustaining a high ankle sprain last month, is averaging 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. He’s scored in double figures in five straight games after scoring only five points Jan. 22 at Canisius. ... Mike Ringgold (10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds) is last in the nation in free-throw shooting at 29.6 percent. ... Coach Tommy Dempsey is still searching for a fifth reliable contributor, but Jhamar Youngblood (7.6 points) has settled into the starting lineup with Jon Thompson (2.8 points), Brandon Penn (3.8) and Jermaine Jackson (1.3) coming off the bench.