Men's College Basketball

Monmouth University 79, Rider University 78

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ— Rider basketball fans were hearing a familiar name on the public address system Friday night. A half-dozen years ago Justin Robinson was compiling 1,480 points and 394 assists in a Rider uniform.  On Friday night a different Justin Robinson compiled 21 points, six assists and five rebounds in a Monmouth uniform.

Robinson made a three-point field goal with 3.8 seconds remaining to give Monmouth a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory at Rider Friday night in front of an overflowing Alumni Gymnasium crowd and an ESPNU national television audience.

“You have to give the Rider fans credit,” said Monmouth head coach King Rice.  “This was a great atmosphere.”

“The fans have been great all year, not just tonight,” said Rider head coach Kevin Baggett. “They brought the energy tonight and I can't thank them enough.”

Monmouth trailed by 14 points with less than four minutes left to play. “This one hurts,” Baggett said. “This one is going to haunt me.”

Rider junior forward Kahlil Thomas (Parkway, Fla./Blanche Ely) made a layup with 20 seconds left to give Rider a 78-76 lead. Thomas compiled 18 points and 13 rebounds. Thomas now has 10 double doubles in the last 16 games.

Rider (10-16, 6-9 MAAC) out-scored Monmouth 31-9 to start the second half, 12 points by senior guard Khalil Alford (Raleigh, NC/Fishburne Military) and nine by senior guard Zedric Sadler (Detroit, Mich./Cody), to take a 66-53 with 11:39 remaining.

“The way Rider came out in the second half, the way they were shooting the ball, the energy they were playing with, we didn't have any answers for it,' Rice said.

Alford finished with 14 points, while Sadler finished with 11 points and six rebounds.

Trailing 76-62, Monmouth (21-5, 13-2 MAAC) out-scored Rider 14-0, five points by Micah Seaborn, to tie the score at 76-76 with :59 remaining. “Down the stretch we lost our composure,” Baggett said. “We had turnovers.”

Seaborn finished with 17 points.

Graduate student Teddy Okereafor (London, England/VCU) added 13 points for Rider. “This was a tough loss but we have to get on with it,” Okereafor said. 

The first place Hawks have now won seven in a row and 12 of their last 13 games.

Monmouth used a 15-2 run, eight points by Robinson, to take a 41-29 lead after 17 minutes of play.  “Give Justin Robinson credit,” Baggett said. “He is one of the best point guards in the league.” Rider out-scored Monmouth 6-3 to cut the lead to 44-35 at the half.

Trailing 13-7, Rider out-scored Monmouth 10-5, seven points by junior Xavier Lundy (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro), to cut the Hawk lead to 18-17 midway through the first half, and Rider led 27-26 with 6:14 left in the first half. Lundy finished with nine points off the bench.

The game was part of the hOURglass Rivalry series between Rider, Monmouth and Saint Peter's, being that the three universities are all about an hour from each other.

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 at Monmouth.

Rider is 16-6 vs. Monmouth since the Broncs left the NEC. Since Monmouth joined the MAAC the Broncs have won four of the six meetings.

Rider had won the last nine meetings with Monmouth before losing to Monmouth last year. Monmouth has now won two of the last three meetings with Rider, but Rider has won 12 of the last 14 meetings with the Hawks. The Broncs and Hawks have now met 44 times since the series began in 1974-75 with Rider winning 27.  Before last year the last time Monmouth beat Rider was during the 2006-07 season (67-66).

Rider is home again Sunday, hosting Niagara at 2pm.

-ru-