Men's College Basketball

Rider University 58, Saint Peter's University 49

JERSEY CITY, NJ— On Thursday evening, the Rider Broncs must have thought ESPN stood for Edge Saint Peter's Narrowly

“We knew this was going to be a grind,” said Rider head coach Kevin Baggett.  “Saint Peter's is a very good defensive team.”

Rider junior Teddy Okereafor (London, England/VCU) compiled 12 points and 10 rebounds, his first 'double-double', to lead Rider to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory at Saint Peter's in a game broadcast on ESPN3.

The victory was the 12^th for Rider (14-8. 8-3 MAAC) in the last 15 games. 

It was Rider's seventh straight road win and the Broncs are now 8-3 in away games.

Saint Peter's (10-12, 4-7 MAAC) cut the Rider lead to 49-48 with 2:35 remaining before senior Matt Lopez (Erial, NJ/Washington Twp.) made a lay-up and Okereafor made a foul shot for a 52-48 lead.  The Broncs out-scored the host Peacocks 6-1 the rest of the way to escape with their seventh straight road win.

Lopez finished with eight points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes of action.

Trailing 37-33, Rider out-scored Saint Peter's 12-1, eight points by senior Junior Fortunat (Montreal, Quebec/Roman Catholic), to take a 45-38 lead with 6:40 left to play. “Tonight was Junior's night,” Baggett said. “He really stepped up when we needed him.”

“As a team we believe in each other,” said Fortunat, a veteran of 102 games.  “We all worked hard to prepare for this game and I have to be ready if my number is called. Tonight it was.”

Fortunat finished with nine points, a key rebound and a pair of blocked shots in 15 minutes off of the bench. “He did some really good things for us tonight and made me look good for putting him in there,” Baggett said.

“This is my last year,” Fortunat said, “so I am trying to enjoy the moment.”

The Broncs made just two of two foul shots in the first half but made 18 of 28 in the second half, including seven of eight in the final 1:38 to preserve the victory. Okereafor made seven of nine from the free throw line, while junior Zedric Sadler (Detroit, Mich./Cody) was four for four and finished with nine points off the bench. “Teddy and Zed did some good things out there tonight,” Baggett said.

Rider led 25-23 at the half as the Peacocks shot just 27 percent (8 of 29) while the Broncs shot 40 percent (10 of 25) in the first 20 minutes. “I told them at halftime that if we were going to win this game we had to be the aggressors,” Baggett said, “ and the second half I felt we were.”

Saint Peter's used an 11-2 run, four points by Quadir Welton, to take its first lead of the game, 21-20 with 1:50 left in the first half. Weldon finished with a game-high 15 points.

Sadler scored five points in a 7-0 Rider run that gave the Broncs an 18-10 lead with 6:29 left in the first half.

Rider has now won 16 of the last 20 meetings with Saint Peter's, including eight of the last nine, including a 68-55 decision less than three weeks ago in Lawrenceville.

It marked the second game in a row and the fourth time this season Rider held an opponent under 50 points.

Rider travels to Albany Monday to take on Siena in  MAAC game.

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