Men's College Basketball

University of Maryland 65, Rider University 58

COLLEGE PARK,  MD— University of Maryland fans like to use the expression “Fear the Turtle!”

After Friday night, a new expression may become almost as popular in College Park.  “Fear the Bronc!”

The Rider Broncs put a scare into the third ranked Maryland Terrapins Friday night, as the host team did not take its first lead until there was just 5:29 left to play.

Holding a 59-58 lead, the 3-0 Terps made six of eight foul shots in the final 40 seconds to defeat Rider by seven points Friday in the first round of the Cancun Challenge

“This was obviously disappointing,” said Rider head coach Kevin Baggett. “You want to win the game. I realize Maryland is a great team but we were right there. I am very proud of our guys. We played as a team and we competed. I knew we were good, we just haven't been playing like it, until tonight.”

Rider (0-3) was led by junior Kahlil Thomas (Parkway, Fla./Blanche Ely), senior Shawn Valentine (Sicklerville, NJ/Phelps) and graduate student Teddy Okereafor (London, England/VCU). 

Thomas compiled 14 points on six of nine shooting from the field.  Valentine scored 12 points off the bench before fouling out, and Okereafor compiled 11 points and seven assists.

“It was great to see Teddy play the way he is capable of playing,” Baggett said. “Kahlil was great. He battled inside against some really big guys.”

“I've been an undersized 'five' my whole life,” said Thomas, who made consecutive baskets to cut the Maryland lead to 59-58. “We didn't come here for any moral victory. We can build off of this but we're trying to win this game. We felt we could win this game, we just came up a little short.”

“It is definitely disappointing, but we played a good game,” Okereafor said.  “Give credit to them, Maryland is a great team, but if we play for 40 minutes we might win. We played for 38.”

“I want to give Rider a lot of credit,” said Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon. “They gave us fits tonight.”

Maryland used a 15-3 run, eight points by 6'11” center Diamond Stone, to cut the Bronc lead to 46-44 with 9:31 left to play. “They made some shots and the crowd (17,950) got behind them and we got into some foul trouble,” Baggett said. “They are much bigger, faster, stronger. They are just a good team.”

Stone finished with 12 points, making six of seven shots, and grabbed five rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.

Rider scored the first 12 points of the second half, four by senior Zedric Sadler (Detroit, Mich./Cody), to take a 43-29 lead with 16:11 left to play. Rider's best defensive player, Sadler fouled out after 24 minutes of work. “Losing Zed really hurt us,” Baggett said.

Maryland out-scored Rider 8-2 over the final 3:30 of the first half, five points by 6'9” Robert Carter, to cut the Rider led to 31-29 at the half. Carter finished with 13 points.

With the scored tied at 13-13 Rider went on an 11-4 run, five points by Valentine, to take a 24-17 lead with 6:17 left in the first half.

Rider scored the first four points of the game and led 7-3 after three minutes.

Rider sophomore Kenny Grant (East Orange, NJ/Hyde) scored a pair of baskets to give Rider a 13-8 lead before picking up his third foul in the first seven minutes.

Rider will now travel to Cancun to take on Cleveland State November 24. “We have a long way to go but we are getting better,” Baggett said. “We have to compete like this night in and night out. If we bring this energy we give ourselves a chance to be pretty good.” 

“This was a confidence builder,” Okereafor said. “We know what we can do. If we bring this intensity and effort every game we will be good.”

If Rider is able to bring this kind of intensity and effort every game, Fear the Bronc.

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