LAWRENCEVILLE — Throw out the records.

As far as coach Kevin Baggett and Rider are concerned it doesn’t matter that Fairfield enter’s Monday night’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference contest with just one league win in 11 attempts.

The Stags have been the Broncs’ bugaboo since former Princeton coach Sydney Johnson took over. Fairfield has won the last four meetings between the schools with two of those coming in the MAAC tournament.

“I can sum it up by saying we are 0-4 for the last two years now against these guys,” Baggett said. “We’re certainly looking forward to playing it. It’s the first chance we have to play them. We’re at home and it’s another game that we need to be able to continue to climb the ladder as far as the standings.”


Rider’s bid to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994 ended at the hands of Monday’s visitors last season in one of the most futile offensive performances in recent history.

Fairfield 43, Rider 42. Twenty-one turnovers. Zero assists. Fewest points in over 20 years.

“Just throw it away,” said senior guard Anthony Myles when asked if he ever watched the tape. “And burn it. Throw out the ashes.”

“Sydney’s been a really good coach and he’s been our nemesis since he’s gotten there,” Baggett said.
That’s why Baggett won’t let the Broncs (11-9, 7-4) take this game lightly although the Stags (4-18, 1-10) have lost four in a row and were thumped by 26 points in their last outing.

And although the losses are piling up for Johnson, the lone MAAC victory did come against Manhattan.

“Those guys will be ready to go,” Baggett said. “I don’t care (what the record is) they beat Manhattan so we don’t take our opponents light and we certainly won’t take those guys light.”

There’s been a regression in Johnson’s three years in charge (he left Princeton for Fairfield after leading the Tigers to the NCAA tournament and a near upset of Kentucky).

In his first year, the Stags went 22-15, reaching the MAAC final and the semifinals of the CIT. They went 19-16 the next season, again knocking Rider out of the MAAC tourney, before falling in the semis.

With just one senior on the roster and a starting lineup that features four sophomores and a freshman, it hasn’t been easy.

Fairfield struggles to score, ranking last in the conference in points per game (61.1) and field goal percentage (38.7). It does, however, come in second in scoring defense, allowing 69.3 points per game.

That’s what’s given Rider trouble in this matchup. The Broncs didn’t crack 60 points in any of the three meetings a year ago.

“We don’t take anybody lightly in this league,” Myles said. “You can’t at this point. They have scorers just like we have scorers. They strap on just like we strap on. We’re not taking them lightly at all.”