Men's College Basketball
Fairfield University 88, Rider University 76
BRIDGEPORT, CT?The good news is that Rider is still tied for first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The bad news is that the Broncs lost at Fairfield Saturday afternoon. “Losing hurts,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey, “but we're right where we started today.”
With Siena losing to Loyola 83-76 in overtime, the Broncs are still tied with Siena for first place.
Rider (18-8, 11-4 MAAC) led 68-66 before Mamadou Diakhate made back-to back three-pointers to lead an 8-0 Fairfield run, giving the Stags a 74-68 lead with 4:00 left to play. Diakhate finished with nine points off the bench. “Give Fairfield credit,” Dempsey said. “They made every shot they had to make.”
Junior Harris Mansell (Cheltenham, PA/Cheltenham) made a three-point field goal with 1:57 to cut the lead to 79-73, but that was as close as the Broncs could get. Mansell fished with 16 points. “Mentally, this doesn't change much,” Mansell said. “We're still thinking we have to win the next game. Monday we need to win at Loyola.”
Fairfield (11-14, 9-6 MAAC) out-scored Rider 42-27 in the second half. “We never had a good rhythm in the second half,” Dempsey said. “We didn't shoot the ball well in the second half.”
Trailing 27-23, Rider went on a 21-9 run, 11 points by senior Kamron Warner (Pleasantville), to take a 42-36 lead with 2:18 left in the first half. Warner finished with 12 points off the bench.
Fairfield went on a 10-2 run to tie the score at 46-46, before Robinson hit a three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to give the Broncs a 49-46 lead at halftime.
Senior Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) played just 12 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble and finished with 20 points and five rebounds, along with three blocked shots.
Marty O'Sullivan came in off the bench and scored 18 points for the Stags. “O'Sullivan gave them a big spark off the bench,” Thompson said. “That's what you need to beat a good team,” Dempsey said, “secondary players stepping up.”
The Broncs shot 50 percent from the field (30-60), including 9-16 from three point range. Rider entered the game ranked 14th in Division I in field goal percentage and 30th in 3-point field goal percentage.
Rider beat Fairfield twice last season, 64-63 here in Bridgeport and 58-55 at Rider, and has won four of the last seven meetings.
The Broncs travel to Loyola Monday evening.”We have another huge game Monday night at Loyola,” Dempsey said. “You are not going to win every night, it is how you bounce back that matters.”
Rider will need to bounce back Monday for more good news.
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