When Rider beat Fairfield Sunday, there was a glaring omission to the Stags’ roster.

Fairfield played without starting point guard Derek Needham, who injured his foot in its loss to Iona. Turns out, Needham broke a bone in his left foot and will miss the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament.

“We’re going to miss Derek because he’s a guy that helps us do what we want to do in terms of our gameplan,” said Stags coach Sydney Johnson. “Obviously, the timing isn’t what he would like. But he’s trying to stay positive and he will. He’s trying to be there for his teammates.
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LAWRENCEVILLE – Sydney Johnson will be the first one to tell you he loved everything about his time as head coach at Princeton

But there is something about Fairfield that appealed to him.

Like next weekend’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. The Ivy League, of course, awards its NCAA bid to the regular season champion.

“We have a chance to play some basketball on a neutral in T.V. games,” Johnson said Sunday after his Stags fell to Rider, 65-62 at Alumni Gymnasium. “It’s a really special time of year we are now a part of, where at my former spot, we couldn’t have that experience.”
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