Men's College Basketball

Quinnipiac University 64, Rider University 60

HAMDEN, CT— In 1798 at a mill here in Hamden, Eli Whitney introduced the modern era of mass production with the concept of interchangeable parts.

Due to illness and injuries, the Rider Broncs did not have as many parts to interchange against
Quinnipiac Monday night.

Despite a career-high 30 points from graduate student Teddy Okereafor (London, England/VCU), the Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Quinnipiac Monday night.

Rider (4-10, 0-3 MAAC) never led and trailed by as many as 15 points. “We have to defend better, we have to rebound better and we have to shoot free throws better.” said Rider head coach Kevin Baggett.

Rider out-scored Quinnipiac 17-4, 15 points by Okereafor, to make it a game in the final seconds.  Okereafor's three-pointer with 4.7 seconds left cut the lead to 62-60. “We just have to continue to get better,” Baggett said.

Okereafor scored Rider's final 15 points of the game and played all 40 minutes. “It is hard to ask Teddy to do everything,” Baggett said.

Quinnipiac (5-8, 2-2 MAAC) scored the first nine points of the second half, six by 6'9” Donovan Smith, to take a 48-34 lead with 14:50 remaining. Smith finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds.

First-year senior Giovanni McLean contributed 15 points, six assists and six rebounds for Quinnipiac.

Rider used a 9-1 run to cut the lead to 49-43, but the Bobcats came back with a 9-0 run to take a 58-43 lead with 3:19 left.

Trailing 36-27, Rider out-scored Quinnipiac 7-3 over the final 1:25 of the first half, all seven points by Okereafor, to cut the lead to 39-34 at half time.

The Bobcats out-rebounded Rider 51-32. “They killed us on the glass,” Baggett said.  Quinnipiac currently leads the nation in offensive rebounding and had 16 on Monday. “We talked about it and worked on it,” Baggett said. QU has finished first in Division I in offensive rebounding four of the last five years.

Rider is now 3-2 against Quinnipiac since the Bobcats joined the MAAC. Rider won both meetings last year.

The win snapped Quinnipiac's four-game losing streak.

Rider was 15 of 24 from the foul line. Quinnipiac made eight of 11 foul shots in the final 3:19.

Rider hits the road again Thursday to play an 8pm ESPN3 game at Preseason favorite Iona.

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