Men's College Basketball
Hofstra University 92, Rider University 89 overtime
HEMPSTEAD, NY--Despite a career-high 38 point, six assist, six rebound performance by senior Ryan Thompson (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape), the Broncs lost an ESPN BracketBuster game in overtime at Hofstra Saturday afternoon. "It was just a great college basketball game today," said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey. "Two teams who are playing well at the right time of the year. A great game that we're disappointed that we came up short in."
For Hofstra (16-13, 8-8 CAA), junior guard Charles Jenkins, the MET Player of the Year last season, compiled 31 points, including six in overtime. "Ryan and Jenkins put on quite a show," Dempsey said. "I feel Ryan had help, though. We had four players score in double figures and others helped in smaller roles. I felt we had a lot of contributors."
With the score tied at 77-77, Hofstra out-scored Rider 8-2 to take an 85-79 lead. Rider junior Justin Robinson (London, England/Blair Academy) made a three-point field goal to cut the lead to 87-84 and scored to cut the lead to 88-86 with 16 seconds left, but that was as close as the Broncs could get. Robinson finished with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Rider (15-14, 8-8 MAAC) trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half. "We were relentless today," Dempsey said. "We were down multiple times in the second half and we hung together today and showed a lot of heart. We played good basketball with our backs against the wall."
Rider sophomore Novar Gadson (Philadelphia, Pa./John Bartram) scored a lay-up with 10 seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 75-75, sending the game into overtime. Gadson finished with 16 points in 29 minutes of action off the bench, making six of nine field goal attempts. "Novar bounced back, hung in there today, and he was efficient in the second half," Dempsey said. "He took very good shots and was a key to us getting the game into overtime."
"Credit my teammates for getting me the ball where I had good looks," Gadson said. "I knew I had to be efficient to give us a chance to come back and try to win the game."
Trailing 61-52, Rider went on a 17-7 run, seven points by Thompson, to take a 69-68 lead with 2:45 left to play, Rider's first lead since 17-15. Thompson, who has compiled 178 points in his last seven games, made two foul shots with :57 left to cut the lead to 75-73.
Thompson was 14 of 16 from the foul line.
"We were just fighting back the whole game," Thompson said. "It was a good game, back and forth. I had some open shots and I got to the free throw line. My teammates got me the ball in good positions."
Hofstra out-scored Rider 10-2 over the final 3:29 of the first half to take a 44-35 lead at half time.
Trailing 13-4, Rider out-scored Hofstra 13-2, with five different Broncs scoring, to take its first lead of the game, 17-15, mid-way through the first half.
Hofstra jumped out to a 13-4 lead, six points by Jenkins.
Rider junior Mike Ringgold (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) added 11 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes of action before fouling out. Freshman Jonathon Thompson (Orlando, Fla./Jones) added five points and a career-high seven rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench before fouling out.
Rider out-rebounded Hofstra 45-44 but was 20 of 27 from the foul line, while Hofstra was 32 of 40 from the free throw line and the Broncs committed 22 turnovers. "We were sloppy with the ball the first half," Dempsey said, "but they also had 17 turnovers, so I think it was more of two teams fighting hard with a lot of speed and athleticism on the floor. But, when you turn the ball over that many times on the road it is going to be hard to win."
Rider is now 2-3 in BracketBuster games. The Broncs defeated UMBC last year and won at Cal State Northridge in 2008. The Broncs lost at Murray State and at Northeastern in its first two BracketBusters.
Rider and Hofstra are former East Coast Conference rivals. The Broncs and Pride had not met in men's basketball since the 1991-92 season, Rider's last season in the ECC. Rider and Hofstra have now met 36 times since the series began in 1942-43, with Rider winning 16. The Broncs won the last meeting here at Hofstra, 69-61 on January 30, 1992 before Hofstra traveled to Lawrenceville and won in overtime, 68-65 on February 15, 1992, the last time these two teams played.
Thompson has moved into fourth place on the all-time scoring list at Rider with 1,809, passing Rider Hall of Famer and former MAAC Player of the Year Mario Porter '02 (1,782). In third place is Ryan's older brother and second year player for the Sacramento Kings, Jason Thompson '08 (2,040).
Rider returns to MAAC action with a pair of home games to finish out the regular season, February 26 against Siena on ESPNU and Canisius February 28 for Senior Day.
"It is good to see this team coming together at the right time," Dempsey said of his Broncs, who have won five of their last seven MAAC games. "I don't think we are a 15-14 team, but we'll find out in the next couple of weeks."
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