LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Dwight Murray, Jr. (Austell, GA/Pebblebrook [Incarnate Word]) scored a career-high 25 points and Dontrell McQuarter (Baton Rouge, LA/Believe Prep [Hinds C.C.]) added his first-career double-double with 17 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, but defending MAAC Champion Siena pulled away late to defeat the Broncs, 78-69, Friday night at Alumni Gym. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 3-9 (3-6 MAAC), while Saints move to an unblemished 5-0 (5-0 MAAC).

The first half featured scoring runs throughout from both teams, resulting in a 31-31 deadlock at the break. The largest runs saw Siena score 14-of-16 points to establish a 19-11 lead, before the Broncs answered with a 13-2 run to retake a 24-21 lead. True to form, the Saints scored 10 of the next 12 to retake a 31-26 lead, before the Broncs scored the final five points of the half to knot the game at 31-31. Murray led the Broncs with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while McQuarter and Rodney Henderson, Jr. (Carson, CA/Avon Old Farms [CSUN]) added eight points apiece.  

After Siena opened the second half with a three-pointer, the Broncs went on an 8-0 run, including a three-point play and a three-pointer from Murray and a McQuarter jumper, to establish a five-point cushion. The Rider lead remained five following a Jeremiah Pope (Clinton, NC/Clinton [Brunswick C.C.]) three-pointer at the 12:40 mark. Siena countered with six-straight to retake the lead. The Broncs retook the lead on a Christian Ings (Philadelphia, PA/Neumann-Goretti) jumper at the 10:46 mark and matched the Saints shot for shot over the next five and a half minutes, tying the game four more times. But Siena got the benefit of consecutive offensive foul calls that helped spark a decisive 11-0 run. Rider could draw to within no closer than five the rest of the way.

Quotes & Notes
"I thought our guys did a good job. Obviously we had a couple of breakdowns here and there. But for the most part, I thought our guys did a good job. We've got to get ready tomorrow and do a better job."

"We got plenty of stops tonight. The ball didn't go our way sometimes. We had 17 more shots than them. We missed them. We got some good looks. We've got to come up with some of those second-opportunity rebounds. We didn't give them any offensive rebounds in the first half. Second half, they ended up with four key ones. And some drives and some breakdowns in the zone. But we'll clean it up tomorrow." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Siena leads the all-time series with the Broncs, 35-18. Though the Broncs are 6-10 against Siena in Kevin Baggett's tenure, Baggett's Broncs are 5-4 in Lawrenceville against the Saints.
- Reigning MAAC Player of the Year, Siena's Jalen Pickett, did not play due to injury.
- Allen Powell (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College HS) made his second start of the season and played nearly 25 minutes.
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- Murray's former career high in scoring was 23 points, established last Feb. 26 for Incarnate Word at Lamar. He did his damage tonight on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. The nine made field goals matched his career high from the Lamar performance.
- Murray also grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists.
- McQuarter's prior career high in rebounds was eight against Iona on Dec. 19, when he scored a career-high 20 points. He matched his career high in field goals made from that game today with seven.
- Pope scored nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from long range off the bench.
- Henderson scored all eight of his points in the first half. He also added five rebounds.
- Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson (Delta State, Nigeria/Monsignor Bonner) added six points and eight rebounds. He made 3-of-4 attempts from the floor and is now shooting a team-best 63.3 percent from the floor.
- Siena outshot the Broncs, 54.0 percent (27-50) to 38.2 percent (26-68) from the floor, including a 60.0 percent (15-25) to 36.1 percent (13-36) edge in the second half. Included in the margin was a 43.5 percent (10-23) to 35.3 percent (6-17) edge from long range.
- Rider made 11-of-12 free-throw attempts (91.7 percent) to Siena's 60.9 percent (14-23), but the Saints got 11 more chances from the line.
- The Broncs took a 37-32 edge on the glass.