Box Score Men's College Basketball
Rider University 69, Niagara University 60
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY— Tomorrow we celebrate President's Day. This holiday used to be celebrated as Washington's Birthday, but now the Father of Our Country has to share the day.
The reason the Rider basketball team has been so successful this year is because the Broncs also share. They have shared the ball.
For the 16th time this year Rider had at least three players score in double figures. On Sunday afternoon, nine different Broncs scored.
“We are going to need that balanced scoring going down the stretch,” said Rider head coach Kevin Baggett, “so teams can't focus on just one or two guys. Any time we can get multiple guys scoring for us it is always a better balance.”
Sophomore Jimmie Taylor (Branford, Fla./Suwannee) scored 15 points and junior Teddy Okereafor (London, England/VCU) added 13 points and five assists to lead Rider to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory at Niagara.
Rider (18-9, 12-4 MAAC) has now won four in a row, eight of the last 10 and 16 of the last 20 games.
“We are the hunted now,” Baggett said of his second place Broncs. “Other teams look at the standings and understand we are winning games so these teams are giving us their best shot.”
With the win at Canisius on Friday it marks the third time in five years that Rider has swept the Western New York road trip.
Trailing 38-33, Rider went on a 20-4 run, eight points by Taylor and six by senior Matt Lopez (Erial, NJ/Washington Twp.), to take a 53-42 lead with 10:08 remaining. That was the sixth and final lead change of the game.
Lopez, still recovering from a bout with the flu, compiled 11 points and five rebounds in 31 minutes of action. “The defense was collapsing on Matt today,” Baggett said.
The score was tied at 33-33 at the half despite the fact that Niagara (4-21, 3-13 MAAC) made nine of 11 foul shots in the first 20 minutes while Rider made just three of seven. “We were leaking oil in the first half,” Baggett said.
Also for Rider, sophomore Kahlil Thomas (Parkway, Fla./Blanche Ely) compiled eight points and five rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench, after missing 13 games with a foot injury. “We got some important minutes from Kahlil today for the first time in a long time,” Baggett said. “We needed that.”
Thomas made four of five shots from the field, including a dunk that gave Rider a 46-40 lead with 12:00 left to play.
Rider shot 50 percent from the field for the second straight time. The Broncs are 7-0 this season when they shoot 50 percent or better.
Niagara out-rebounded Rider 38-19 but the Broncs made 10 of 18 three-point shots. “That started with Jimmie,” Baggett said. Taylor made four of five three-point shots.
Rider beat Niagara twice last year, 90-72 here in Niagara and 85-83 at Rider.
Rider and Niagara have now met 40 times since the series began in 1991-92, with each team winning 20. Rider has won 10 of the last 11. Since joining the MAAC, Rider is 20-15 against Niagara in regular season games.
Rider returns home for three of the final four games, hosting Quinnipiac Thursday. If Rider can share the ball, the Broncs should be celebrating.
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