Box Score Men's College Basketball
Rider University 71, Morgan State University 49
BALTIMORE, MD— Drive, they told me, pa rum pum pum pum.
Be more confident too, pa rum pum pum pum.
My finest game I bring pa rum pum pum pum.
The Broncs beat Morgan State pa rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum.
It wasn't a little drummer boy who had no gift to bring so instead played, but junior Jimmie Taylor (Branford, Fla./Suwannee) who played Wednesday night, well enough to give the Rider Broncs the gift of a victory at Morgan State.
“We've been telling Jimmie his drives will set up his jump shots,” said Rider head coach Kevin Baggett. “He is feeling better about himself and his confidence is high. We're feeding off of him.”
Taylor finished with nine points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
Rider junior Kahlil Thomas (Parkway, Fla./Blanche Ely) compiled his second 'double-double' in as many games. After compiling 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds at 14th ranked Providence, Thomas came back to compile 12 and 10 again Wednesday. “Kahlil is feeling good about himself right now,” Baggett said. “We're getting the ball to him more and he has some confidence right now.”
Rider (3-9) out-scored Morgan State 14-5, six points each by Taylor and graduate student Teddy Okereafor (London, England/VCU), to take a 53-31 lead with 13:00 left to play.
Okereafor finished with six points, five assists and three rebounds.
Rider shot a season-best 55.3 percent from the field and made a season-high 14 (of 27) three-pointers. Rider also had a season-high 21 assists. “We really shared the ball tonight, which I am happy about,” Baggett said. Nine different Broncs scored.
The Broncs led by as many as 36 points (71-35). “We played defense tonight,” Baggett said, as the Broncs held the Bears to 26 percent shooting from the field. “When we can look like that we are a good team.”
Morgan State (2-8) scored the final 14 points of the game to make the score seem closer than it was. The Bears never led in the contest. The Bears were led by senior forward Cedric Blossom, who compiled 17 points and 12 rebounds.
The Broncs used a 12-0 run, five points by junior Xavier Lundy (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro), to take a 35-17 lead with 2:40 left in the first half, and Rider led 38-22 at the half. Lundy finished with 13 points and five rebounds.
Holding a 13-11 led, Rider went on a 10-2 run, four points by senior Shawn Valentine (Sicklerville, NJ/Phelps), to take a 23-13 lead with 7:50 left in the first half. Valentine finished with seven points in 13 minutes.
The win was the second in the last three games for Rider, along with an eight-point loss to #14 Providence. “Things are looking up right now,” Baggett said. “We are coming out of what we were in and I'm happy that we are playing together.”
Rider defeated Morgan State 62-48 last season in Lawrenceville, NJ. In that game Teddy Okereafor scored 21 points.
That was the first meeting between these two teams since the Broncs beat the Bears 85-66 in the Championship Game of the 1999-2000 Conference Challenge hosted by UMBC. The only other time Rider and Morgan State met was an 83-79 Morgan State victory during the 1960-61 season.
For the much traveled Broncs, Baltimore was Rider's ninth city in the last 11 games. “Everybody needs a minute to exhale,” Baggett said, “spend time with their families. Hopefully we can get home and get a win in front of our crowd at home.”
Rider hosts Hartford of the America East Conference Wednesday, December 30 at 7pm. That will be Rider's final non-conference game of the regular season.
You better watch out, your better not cry, better not pout, I'm telling you why.
The Rider Broncs are coming to town, victoriously.
-ru-
