Men's College Basketball
Rider University 84, NJIT 58
LAWRENCEVILLE? Sophomore Ryan Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) compiled 20 points and six rebounds to lead Rider to victory over the New Jersey Institute of Technology Wednesday evening. “Every aspect of Ryan's game has improved this year,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey.
Not to be out-done, his older brother, senior Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape), added 17 points, 17 rebounds, four blocks and six assists, one shy of his career high. “Most of the points came when we got the ball into Jason and he got everybody else shots when he had three guys on him,” Ryan said.
“About a week after last season Ryan began really hitting the weights and he spends a lot of time in the gym shooting the ball,” Dempsey said. “He was determined to make a big jump this year and it is showing right now.”
Rider out-scored NJIT 51-34 in the second half. “In the second half we got the game moving to more of a pace we like,” Dempsey said.
“That seems to be our M.O,” said NJIT's interim head coach, Wendall Alexis. “We hang around in the first half and in the second half either the other team steps on the gas or we run out of gas. In the second half they made adjustments and were able to get their shots.”
Holding a 49-41 lead, Rider went on an 11-2 run, six points by Jason Thompson, to take a 60-43 lead with 9:30 left to play. “We didn't have the start that we wanted,” Jason said, “but we made adjustments throughout the game. With the team we have we like to go up and down the court. Once that started happening in the second half things opened up.”
Rider went on a 14-4 run, six points by Ryan Thompson, to take a 17-7 lead mid-way through the first half, and led 33-24 at half time. “I think we were a little bit sluggish tonight to start, coming off a long road trip against the competition we saw at Disney and with just one day rest having traveled Monday,” said Dempsey.
In Disney at the Old Spice Classic Rider was 1-2 against teams from the ACC, Big Ten and the Big 12. “I was a little bit concerned that we wouldn't have good legs, and I didn't think we did have good legs tonight, but we found a way to get it done.”
Rider never trailed in the contest.
For NJIT (0-7), Nesho Milosevic had 14 points and six rebounds, while Justin Garris added 13 points.
Also for Rider, junior Harris Mansell (Cheltenham, PA/Cheltenham) added 15 points. Senior Kam Warner (Pleasantville) came in off the bench and made a pair of threes for six points in nine minutes of action.
“Rider got the ball to the right people in the second half,” Alexis said.
Jason and Ryan were playing against an old high school teammate, Kraig Peters, who finished with nine points. “It was fun to play against an old high school teammate, but it wasn't about Kraig vs. Jason,” Jason said.
“Playing against Jason is nothing new, it is almost an every day thing,” Peters said. “Jason is a great guy and a great player. As you can see he makes the people around him better. Jason was smaller in high school and he grew up as a guard. That is his greatest asset. When he grew he kept the guard skills and added the post game. You can't ask for much more.”
“Having their 6'11” center bringing the ball up against a press doesn't bode well for us,” Alexis said.
Rider out-rebounded NJIT 45-31 and held the Highlanders to 38.3 percent shooting. “We have a pretty good rebounding team,” Dempsey said. “Our guards can rebound and we have one of the best rebounders in the country (Jason). That is something we have focused on. It is good to see the things that you focus on, things that were weaknesses last year, become strengths this year.”
Jason Thompson moved into eighth place in Rider career scoring with 1,488 career points. Deon Hames '96 is seventh highest with 1,589. Thompson is second in career rebounds with 844 and 30 shy of the Rider record of 874, set in 1977 by Chuck Simon.
With the victory Rider (4-3) improved to 3-0 at home this season. Rider hosts Binghamton Saturday at 3pm.
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