Box Score Men's College Basketball
Rider University 63, Monmouth University 60
WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ— A milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road. It is also a significant event or stage in a life, a process, or a development.
The Rider men's basketball team reached two milestones Thursday that were both numbered markers and significant stages in the team's progress and development.
The two milestones Rider reached Thursday were #20 and #14.
The victory over Monmouth was the 20th of the season for Rider, the second 20-win season for the Broncs in the last five years (23-11 in 2010-11), third in the last eight years (23-11 2007-08) and just the ninth 20-win season in the 85-year history of Rider men's basketball.
The victory was also Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win number 14 on the season, the most ever in Rider's 18 years in the conference.
The victory also clinched second place for Rider.
“Every coach wants to get to that magic number 20,” said Rider head coach Kevin Baggett, who won 19 as a rookie head coach in 2013. “It has been a fun year with this group. They are a team in every sense of the word. They deserve it. I couldn't be happier for this group.”
Junior Teddy Okereafor (London, England/VCU) compiled 21 points and eight rebounds to lead Rider to victory.
The Broncs were playing their second straight game without their leading scorer and rebounder, senior Matt Lopez (Erial, NJ/Washington Twp.), who injured his knee on February 19 and is out for the rest of the season.
“The goal before Matt went down was to win the MAAC Tournament and go to the NCAA Tournament,” Okereafor said. “Now we want to do it for Matt.”
Without Lopez, Rider needed an X Factor.
An X factor is a hard-to-describe influence or quality; an important element with unknown consequences.
Rider's X Factor, sophomore Xavier Lundy (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro), was the influence Thursday night, compiling a career-high 17 points and a career-high nine rebounds.
Trailing 27-25, Rider (20-10, 14-5 MAAC) out-scored Monmouth 15-4, 10 points by Lundy, to take a 40-31 lead with 16:13 left to play. That was the seventh and final lead change of the game.
Marvel Comic X-Men are superheroes born with superhuman abilities. They fight for peace and equality.
Rider's X-Man was not born with superhuman abilities, but he did fight to be more aggressive and to be tougher.
“I've been saying to 'X' that we needed him to step up and he certainly did that tonight,” Baggett said. “I told him I need him to be more aggressive, to be tougher and he did that tonight.”
“I had a talk with Matt today,” Lundy said. “He told me to step up tonight and I told him I'd be there for him tonight.”
Rider made just 20 of 36 foul shots, but Okereafor made nine of 10, including three of four in the final minute.
“I was dying when we were missing those free throws,” Baggett said, “but we made a couple when we needed to make them in order to win the game.”
Also seeing more minutes with the absence of Lopez was senior Junior Fortunat (Montreal, Quebec/Roman Catholic), who compiled seven points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes of action. “Junior played well for us tonight,” Baggett said.
Rider out-rebounded Monmouth (16-14, 12-7 MAAC) 45-32.
The score was tied at 25-25 at the half.
The game was also an hOURglass Rivalry game. Since Rider and Monmouth (and Saint Peter's) are all about an hour away from each other, the three-way rivalry between the New Jersey MAAC teams is called the hOURglass Rivalry. The spelling of hOURglass represents the fact that it is OUR rivalry.
“This has become a really good rivalry,” Baggett said. “Monmouth has become a good team. They defend. It was a tough one at our place and it was a tough one here at Monmouth.”
The Hawks came into Rider's Alumni Gym and defeated the Broncs 55-54 on January 12. In that game Monmouth took its first lead of the game with 1:39 left to play.
Rider and Monmouth were Northeast Conference rivals for five years in the 1990s. Rider defeated Monmouth in the 1994 NEC Title Game at Rider and lost the 1996 Title Game here at Monmouth. Rider had won the last nine games against Monmouth before losing to Monmouth this year. Rider has now won 12 of the last 14 meetings with the Hawks. The Broncs and Hawks have met 43 times since the series began in 1974-75 with Rider winning 27. Before this year the last time Monmouth beat Rider was during the 2006-07 season (67-66).
Rider returns home to play the regular season finale 2pm Sunday, March 1 on ESPN3 vs. Marist. Rider's two graduating seniors, Matt Lopez and Junior Fortunat, and two graduate students, Anthony D'Orazio and Emerson Bursis, will be honored in a pregame ceremony.
Sunday's game means nothing as far as the MAAC standings are concerned. “I want to win,” Baggett said of his regular season finale. “I want our seniors to go out on a good note. We will not be taking our foot off the gas. We have a lot more to accomplish.”
More milestones.
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