LAWRENCEVILLE? There has been some debate about where Rider University senior Jason Thompson may be playing basketball next year. After a performance like Sunday afternoon, the answer looks a bit more obvious. In a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Loyola, the 6'11” forward compiled 28 points, 17 rebounds, five blocked shots, four assists and three steals against the team picked to finish second in the conference. “I'm only going to be a senior in college once,” Thompson said, “so I'm just concerned with helping my team win games and win a conference championship. I know there are eyes out there (NBA scouts) but I try not too think about it to much.”
“I think they really didn't have a match-up for Jason today,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey. “He had it going tonight. When he's making his mid-range jumper like he was today he becomes a very tough person to guard.”
Holding a 51-43 lead, Rider (11-6, 4-2 MAAC) out-scored the Greyhounds 12-2, five points by Jason Thompson, to take a 63-45 lead mid-way through the second half.
Loyola had defeated Rider in their last four meetings before Sunday. “They've had our number so it was nice to get a win over them,” Dempsey said. “They've played well against us in the past two years. To beat them today, to be in control for most of the game, felt like we took a big step forward.”
“They were picked ahead of us as one of the top teams in the league, so this was a statement game for us,” Jason Thompson said. “We've beaten some of the lower MAAC teams, but this was one of our goals, to beat the top teams, to show we deserve to be up with them in the standings.”
Rider has now won three in a row, six of the last eight and eight of the last 11. “After losing to Marist at home, a hard loss that we knew would hurt us in the standings, the only thing you can do to make it right is to go out and get on a bit of a streak,” Dempsey said. “Our kids have responded great since then. To come back to win three in a row to get back in the thick of it is what we needed to do.”
“This is big,” said sophomore Ryan Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape), who added 16 points, seven assists and six rebounds. “Now we're getting on a roll. Getting a win on the road in the conference (at Iona Friday) was big, and now beating a team picked to finish second is big, especially a team that we hadn't beaten since I've been here.”
Rider led 28-15 before Loyola (7-10, 3-3 MAAC) went on a 19-5 run, five points each by Gerald Brown, Marquis Sullivan and Michael Tuck, to take a 34-33 lead. Brown finished with 20 points, while Sullivan and Tuck each finished with 10. “There was a stretch in the first half where Loyola really got it going,” Dempsey said.
Rider out-scored Loyola 6-2 over the final 1:30 of the first period to take a 42-39 lead at the half, and scored the first nine points of the second half to take a 51-39 lead. Jason Thompson had six points in that 15-2 run.
Rider jumped out to a 14-6 lead, seven points by Jason Thompson, and built a 26-13 lead with eight minutes left in the first half. “We got off to a good start,” Dempsey said, “and they responded. In the second half we again got a lead and protected it.”
Also for Rider junior Harris Mansell (Cheltenham, PA/Cheltenham) added 13 points.
The ?double-double' for Jason Thompson was his 11th of the year and the 41st of his career.
Rider travels to Manhattan College Saturday night.
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