Box Score Men's College Basketball
Manhattan College 65, Rider University 57
RIVERDALE, NY—Tuesday morning's events at Gobbler's Knob, with Punxsutawney Phil NOT seeing his shadow, indicate there will be an early spring.
Rider basketball fans hope that the events of Tuesday evening at Manhattan do not indicate an early spring for the Broncs.
“We just never got into a rhythm,” said Rider head coach Kevin Baggett, “but we still had a chance to win this game. We just broke down at the end.”
Despite 19 points by graduate student Teddy Okereafor (London, England/VCU), the Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to the Manhattan Jaspers Tuesday night.
Rider (9-14, 5-7 MAAC), having won its last three games and five of its last six, took a 55-53 lead on a three-point play by Okereafor with 3:57 left to play.
Manhattan (9-11, 6-5 MAAC), the two-time defending MAAC Champion, out-scored Rider 12-2 the rest of the way, five points each by senior forward Shane Richards and sophomore forward Zane Waterman. That was the 16th lead change of the game.
Richards finished with a game-high 28 points, making eight of eight foul shots. “Richards is one of the better players in the league,” Baggett said. Waterman added 12 points and seven rebounds.
Rider out-scored Manhattan 9-2 early in the second half, four points by junior Xavier Lundy (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro), to take a 38-35 lead with 12:27 left in the second half. Lundy finished with eight points and six rebounds in 23 minutes of action off the bench.
Rider used an 8-0 run, four points by Okereafor, to take its first lead of the game, 23-21, and Rider led 27-26 at the half.
Also for Rider, junior Kahlil Thomas (Parkway, Fla./Blanche Ely) finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.
Manhattan jumped out to a 12-4 lead, seven points by Richards.
Rider beat Manhattan twice last season, both times in overtime.
The Broncs make their annual trek to Western New York to take on Niagara Friday and Canisius Super Bowl Sunday.
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