Box Score Men's College Basketball-MAAC Tournament
Rider University 60, Quinnipiac University 57
ALBANY, NY—Theodor Seuss Geisel, who used the pen name Dr. Seuss, would have turned 112 years old yesterday. The popular author of children's books once said, “Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”
The Rider University men's basketball team won its first round game in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Tournament today, and for its reward it will now play the top seed, regular season champion Monmouth tomorrow.
“I am just happy to see another day,” said Rider head coach Kevin Baggett.
Rider's last game was Senior Night. Thursday for Rider it was Junior Night.
Rider juniors Jimmie Taylor (Branford, Fla./Suwannee) and Kahlil Thomas (Parkway, Fla./Blanche Ely) combined for 32 points, while Thomas grabbed 12 rebounds.
Thomas, a Third Team All- MAAC selection who leads the MAAC in field goal percentage and ranks third in the MAAC in rebounding, compiled his 12th double double in the last 21 games. Thomas averaged 15.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in February, and improved on those numbers in his first game of March. “Lilly established a post-presence today,” Baggett said.
“Quinnipiac has some big dudes,” said the 6'7”, 225 pound Thomas. “I was just trying to show my toughness. Coach sometimes says we lack it, so tonight I wanted to show we have it.”
Taylor, who entered the game with exactly 1,000 career points, scored 15 of Rider's first 27 points and finished with a game-high 18 points. “When the first one went down the rim seemed to get bigger,” Taylor said.
“It is always big when Jimmie gives us a boast like he did tonight,” Baggett said.
Taylor made a career-high five three-pointers. His trey with 9:50 remaining gave Rider a 52-42 lead. “He made big shots that we know he is capable of making,” Baggett said. “It was good to see because we're going to need him to make some more shots tomorrow.”
“I just tried to stay confident,” Taylor said. “Coach told me before the game I needed to knock down shots tonight and that stuck in my head. My teammates found me when I was open.”
Rider graduate student Teddy Okereafor (London, England/VCU) was one for five from the line before coming up with a steal and making two free throws with 7.9 left for the final score. “I have a short memory for misses,” Okereafor said. “I can't worry about it. I knew after the steal it was two shots or don't come back, so I had to make them.”
“A big steal from Teddy and finally two big free throws,” Baggett said.
Okereafor, a Third Team All-MAAC selection, finished with just five points but had six assists, five steals and six rebounds. “That's my role,” Okereafor said. “I'm not really worried about scoring. If I see an opportunity to score I'll take it but most of the time I am trying to create for my teammates.”
“Teddy was finding the right guys,” Baggett said.
Trailing 56-46, Quinnipiac (9-21, 6-14 MAAC) out-scored Rider 11-2, including a three-point field goal by James Ford with 17 seconds remaining, to cut the lead to 58-57, before Okereafor's big steal. “I wasn't real happy with the way we played down the stretch,” Baggett said, “but at this time of year a win is a win. You have to find a way to stay with it and we did that. I thought our guys stayed together and we found a way to win.”
Rider (13-19, 9-11 MAAC) out-rebounded Quinnipiac 33-31. Quinnipiac entered the game as the top rebounding team in the nation. “Rebounding is always a focus when you play Quinnipiac,” Baggett said. “They are very good at going to the glass. Anytime we can stay close to them on the glass, let alone out-rebound them, that is the reason why we won.”
Quinnipiac, the ninth seed, led 38-36 before Rider, the eighth seed, used a 13-2 run, five points by Thomas, to take a 49-40 lead with 10:46 left to play.
The game began close, with 14 lead changes and six ties in the opening 20 minutes, which ended with Quinnipiac leading 32-30 at the half.
Rider will play the Monmouth Hawks in the quarterfinals Friday at 7pm. “I am looking forward to playing them the way we played them the first time this year,” Baggett said. “Again, it is win or go home and I know our guys are excited about playing Monmouth again, to get that taste out of their mouths from the last time.”
Monmouth (25-6, 17-3 MAAC) won at Rider by just one point, 79-78 February 12 in the first meeting when First Team All-MAAC guard Justin Robinson made a three-pointer with 3.8 seconds left for the final score. Rider lost at Monmouth 79-58 on February 26 in the last meeting.
This is Rider's 19th year in the MAAC and the Broncs have now won 13 of 31 MAAC Tournament games. Rider reached the MAAC Finals in 2008 and 2005.
As Dr. Seuss said, "Only you can control your future." The Broncs will try to control their future, and Monmouth, Friday night.
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