LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Junior Dontrell McQuarter (Baton Rouge, LA/Believe Prep [Hinds C.C.]) contributed a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds and the Rider University erased a double-digit deficit, but fell to Iona, 72-64, Saturday night at Alumni Gym. With the sweep, Iona moves to 4-3 (3-1 MAAC), while the Broncs fall to 1-5 (1-3 MAAC).

After the Broncs led, 2-0 and 6-5, in the early going, Iona went on a 14-2 run to build a double-digit lead. Rider whittled the deficit down to four on a three-point play from Dontrell McQuarter (Baton Rouge, LA/Believe Prep [Hinds C.C.]), but the Gaels scored the next nine to rebuild a 13-point cushion.

Rider would score the final six points of first half and go on a 22-5 run bridging the two halves to take a 48-44 lead at the 14-minute mark of the second half. McQuarter scored seven points in the stretch, while Dwight Murray, Jr. (Austell, GA/Pebblebrook [Incarnate Word]) added six. The teams exchanged the lead five more times in the second half, with Iona scoring six straight to take a 60-56 lead with just over five minutes remaining. The Gaels would not relinquish the lead again, building it to as many as nine points before closing out the 72-64 victory.

Quotes & Notes
"I thought our guys did a really good job competing tonight. Obviously we came up short and gave up some big shots. We needed to execute a little better down the stretch. But I liked us better tonight than I did yesterday in how we competed and defended. We'll continue to get better as we continue to be in these situations." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Iona leads the all-time series with Rider, 43-26, including wins in each of the last six.   
- Rider was facing a Rick Pitino-led team for the fourth and fifth times. The first came in December 1986, when he was Providence's Head Coach, before the Broncs faced his Kentucky Wildcats in the 1993 NCAA Tournament and the 1995 ECAC Holiday Festival.
- Graduate student Rodney Henderson, Jr. (Carson, CA/Avon Old Farms [CSUN]) missed the game due to injury after scoring 13 points on Friday night.
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- McQuarter made 7-of-13 attempts from the floor and connected on 6-of-7 free throws. His previous season high was eight.
- Murray scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half. He also added six rebounds and a steal.
- Christian Ings (Philadelphia, PA/Neumann-Goretti) also finished in double figures with 10 points, while also making a game-high two steals.
- Rider committed a season-low 10 turnovers, while turning the Gaels over 13 times.
- Iona outshot the Broncs, 51.2 percent (22-43) to 38.5 percent (20-52) from the floor, including a 47.8 percent (11-23) to 11.1 percent (1-9) advantage from long range.
- Rider took a 79.3 percent (23-29) to 60.7 percent (17-28) edge from the free-throw line.
- After being outrebounded, 36-28, on Friday, the Broncs took a 32-24 advantage on the glass Saturday.