Men's College Basketball
Rider University 76, Saint Peter's College 67
NEWARK? Rider entered the game on a six game winning streak. Saint Peter's entered the game on a six game losing streak. Tied for first place, Rider has the two teams it is tied with coming up next week. If there was ever an upset ready to happen, this was it. “This game had upset written all over it before we ever got off the bus,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey. “They've been struggling, we've been playing well, and we've played four games in eight days and with the week ahead, I was nervous today. This was a trap game if there ever was one.”
Senior Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) compiled 18 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks to lead Rider to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Saint Peter's at the Prudential Center Sunday afternoon. “We knew Saint Peter's would be gunning for us,” Thompson said. ?In the past we were the hunters, trying to catch the teams ahead of us. Now we are the hunted, being in first place.”
Trailing 58-57, Rider (15-6, 8-2 MAAC) out-scored Saint Peter's (4-16, 1-9 MAAC) 13-2, five points by senior Kamron Warner (Pleasantville), to take a 67-58 lead with 4:04 left to play. That was the seventh and final lead change of the game. Warner played just five minutes but made the most of them, with five key points and two key rebounds. “Kam came up with five big points and two big rebounds when we needed them,” Dempsey said.
“I just try to stay ready, and when I do go in, stay calm, not try to do too much,” Warner said. “It feels really good to be able to contribute.”
The victory was the seventh straight for Rider, its longest winning streak since winning seven straight during the 2001-02 season.
The Broncs entered the game ranked 19th in the nation in field goal percentage (48.7) and shot 51 percent (26-51) from the field. “I didn't think we shot the ball well, but maybe we're getting a little spoiled with how well we do shot the ball,” Dempsey said. “I thought we shot it poorly, so seeing we shot 51 percent surprises me.”
Rider won the battle of the boards 36-29 and is now 11-1 when it out-rebounds its opponents.
Saint Peter's out-scored Rider 10-0 to take a 50-47 lead mid-way through the second half.
Trailing 30-28, Rider out-scored SPC 6-0 over the final 2:24 of the first half to take a 34-30 lead at half time.
Rider led 23-17 before SPC went on an 11-1 run, five points by Wesley Jenkins, to take a 28-24 lead with 3:52 left in the first half. Jenkins finished with a game-high 20 points.
The Broncs are now 5-0 against New Jersey institutions, having also beaten Rutgers, Fairleigh Dickinson, Monmouth and NJIT.
The 8-2 start in the MAAC is the best since Rider began the 2004-05 season 9-2 in the MAAC and finished in first place at 13-5. Rider was 7-1 in the MAAC in 2000-01 and finished 11-7.
The victory was Rider's seventh on the road this year.
The ?double-double' for Jason Thompson was the 13th of the season and 43rd of his career. Thompson entered the game ranked fifth in the nation in rebounding (11.2), 15th in blocks (2.8) and 34th in scoring (19.9). Jason Thompson now has 1762 career points and 993 career rebounds. Thompson needs 20 points for third highest ever at Rider and just seven rebounds for 1,000.
Junior Harris Mansell (Cheltenham, PA/Cheltenham) added 13 points, while freshman Justin Robinson (London, England/Blair Academy) had 12 points and three assists.
Rider swept SPC last year after the Peacocks beat Rider three times in 2005-06.
The Broncs will attempt to make it eight in a row with a MAAC game at Marist January 30. “This is the part of our schedule where we find out what we're all about,” Dempsey said. “It's time to take it to another level.”
The last time Rider won eight straight was during the 1995-96 season. That eight-game winning streak ended in the Northeast Conference Championship game, a one point loss to Monmouth.
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