Men's College Basketball
Canisius College 84, Rider University 66
BUFFALO, NY?The temperature in Buffalo was four degrees Thursday night, and Rider's shooting in the Koessler Arena was just as cold. “We got our butts kicked, start to finish,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey. “Just overall a tough night.”
The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference at Canisius. Rider (9-7, 4-2) had defeated Canisius 12 straight times before Thursday. The last time Canisius defeated Rider was March 2, 2003. “When a team plays with a sense of urgency like Canisius did tonight, you better match their energy, and we didn't,” Dempsey said.
Canisius (6-11, 1-6 MAAC) had lost its last four games and eight of the last 10. “They came out, they needed a win and they took it to us,” Dempsey said.
Rider was two for 18 from three-point range for the game and 21 for 58 (.365) overall. “That's not going to get it done,” Dempsey said. “Their defense was good, but at the same time we had open look after open look and just couldn't cash it in. You need those threes to give you some energy when you are trying to come back. We just couldn't get them to go and we never got that spark we needed.”
Holding a 68-61 lead with 5:59 remaining, Canisius out-scored Rider 10-2, four points by sophomore guard Julius Coles, to take a 78-63 lead with 3:00 left to play. Coles finished with a career-high 26 points. “Coles, I thought, played a terrific game,” Dempsey said.
Trailing 60-48, Rider went on an 11-6 run, eight points by junior Ryan Thompson (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape), to cut the lead to 66-59 with 6:47 remaining, but that was as close as the Broncs could get. Thompson finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and now has 1,008 career points, 27th highest ever at Rider.
Holding a 51-46 lead, Canisius out-scored Rider 9-2, five points by Coles, to take a 60-48 lead with 11:26 left to play. “They had their ?A' game going tonight and if you don't play well you are not going to win,” Dempsey said. “They had their backs against the wall and if you don't play well in that type of environment you are not going to win, and we did not play well.”
Trailing 47-37, Rider went on an 8-3 run, four points by Thompson, including his 1,000th, to cut the lead to 50-45 with 15:27 left to play.
With the score tied at 22-22, Canisius out-scored Rider 12-2, six points by Coles, to take a 34-24 lead and Canisius led 43-33 at intermission.
Rider senior Harris Mansell (Cheltenham, Pa./Cheltenham) and Thompson were a combined one for nine from the field in the first half, as Rider was just 10 for 31 from the field in the first 20 minutes.
Mansell finished with 10 points and now has 1,139 for his career, 20th highest ever at Rider.
Rider jumped out to an 11-8 lead, six points by freshman Jermaine Jackson (Reading, Pa./Reading). Jackson finished with eight points.
Rider freshman Novar Gadson (Philadelphia, Pa./John Bartram) fouled out with 6:12 remaining with 11 points and five rebounds in 17 minutes of action.
Rider now travels to Niagara to take on the Purple Eagles Saturday afternoon. Niagara lost to Iona Thursday night and Marist took first place Siena, the defending MAAC champion, into overtime. “That's what it is in this league,” Dempsey said. “You can't take anything for granted. You have to show up every night. Hopefully we can bounce back and play with a sense of urgency Saturday.”
Hopefully it will warm up Saturday. If not the temperature, at least Rider's shooting.
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