WEST HARTFORD, CT – Kahlil Thomas (Parkway, FL/Blanche Ely) compiled a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds as the Rider University men's basketball team overpowered Hartford, 84-68, on the road Wednesday night. With the win, the Broncs begin the season at 2-0 for the first time since 2009-10, while the Hawks slip to 1-2. 

Thomas connected on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor. Xavier Lundy (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro) added 19 points, also on 8-of-13 shooting, while Dimencio Vaughn (New York, NY/Callaway/The Masters School) added 15 points off the bench on 6-of-9 shooting. Vaughn also made a team-high four steals. Norville Carey (British Virgin Islands/Red Lion Christian Academy [Southern Mississippi]) chipped in with 11 points and nine rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass. Stevie Jordan (Bensalem, PA/Conwell-Egan/API) filled the stat sheet with nine points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. 

Jalen Ross led Hartford with 20 points, while Jack Hobbs (14) and George Blagojevic (11) also finished in double figures. J.R. Lynch added seven rebounds and seven assists for the Hawks. 

“Jimmie Taylor struggled today in a number of areas,” said Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett. “But that one ball that he dove on toward the end and got us a lay-up really solidified the game for us. Those are winning plays by your seniors. Kahlil Thomas – we asked him to get a double-double tonight. Norville almost got a double-double. And if those guys are rebounding, being the force that they're capable of being, we'll be fine. Dimencio finally showed up to who he's capable of being as a freshman. His focus just needed to be to rebound, which is what he did early on in going to the glass for some easy putbacks and a couple shots early in the second half to get him going as well.” 

After 10 lead changes in the early going, the Broncs went on a 9-1 spurt to create an eight-point lead, 28-20. Thomas (five points) and Anthony Durham (Philadelphia, PA/Abington/Putnam Science) (four points) did all the damage in the run. Hartford pushed back with seven-straight points to cut the Broncs' lead to 28-27. Following a Rider timeout, Lundy buried a three to spark an 11-0 run, pushing the Broncs' lead to 39-27. Lundy also contributed a jumper and a putback slam in the run. The Hawks finished the half strong with eight of the final 10 points to cut Rider's lead to 41-35 at the half. 

Lundy led the Broncs with 12 points at the break, while Thomas had nine points and seven rebounds. Vaughn chipped in with seven points off the bench, while Jordan had seven rebounds and four assists. Ross led all scorers with 14 in the first half. Hobbs added eight points off the bench, including a pair of trifectas. The Broncs took an 8-1 edge in offensive rebounds and a 9-0 advantage in second-chance points in the first half. 

The Hawks drew to within five on three occasions early in the second half, but that was the closest Rider would allow Hartford to get. Rider scored the game's final six points from the free-throw line to push to its largest lead of the game (16 points) with the final score, 84-68.   

“We have a number of guys that can score the ball,” said Baggett. “One thing I said to our team in the locker room after the game was I thought we have the making of a good team. We just need to do a better job of hunkering down and defending better. When we got stops late when we needed them. That certainly helped us. Then we made free throws down the stretch.”

For the game, the Broncs outshot the Hawks, 45.2 percent (33-73) to 40.4 percent (23-57) from the floor and took a 49-33 edge on the glass. Included in the rebounding dominance was a 19-7 edge in offensive rebounds, resulting in a 23-7 advantage in second-chance points and a 44-26 cushion in points in the paint. 

Rider returns to action Saturday night, when it travels to the University of South Florida. Tipoff from Tampa, FL, is scheduled for 7 p.m.