LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Dwight Murray, Jr. (Austell, GA/Pebblebrook [Incarnate Word]) scored a game-high 22 points as the Rider University men's basketball team cruised to a 76-64 victory over Marist Friday night at Alumni Gym. With the win, the Broncs' ninth-straight over the Red Foxes, Rider improves to 4-10 (4-7 MAAC). Marist falls to 7-6 (5-6 MAAC).

Rider used an early 13-2 run to take a double-digit lead, 18-8, by the 9:33 mark of the first half and wouldn't trail again. Marist used a pair of 6-0 spurts to close to within two, 22-20, before Rider used a 14-4 run to push its lead to its largest point of the period, 36-24. Marist converted the final bucket of the half to cut the Broncs' halftime lead to 10. Murray led the Broncs with nine points, while Jeremiah Pope (Clinton, NC/Clinton [Brunswick C.C.]) added seven in the period.

The closest Marist would draw in the second half was to within eight with just under 18 minutes remaining. Rider's lead methodically swelled to 20 points on a pair of Rodney Henderson, Jr. (Carson, CA/Avon Old Farms [CSUN]) free throws with 6:17 remaining. A full-court press helped Marist draw to within 11 with 1:26 remaining, but the Red Foxes were held scoreless from that point.

Quotes & Notes
"Good win for us. First home win. I'm proud of the guys. We were minus Dontrell McQuarter tonight, who had a family emergency. It was a good, all-around, team win."

"I just think the guys are getting better and took what the defense gave them tonight."

"I thought, for the most part, we were in the right position in the first half. We got spread out a little bit in the second half when they made some shots. I thought the defense got us going tonight." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Rider leads the all-time series with Marist, 39-24, including wins in each of the last nine meetings.  
- Rider's 10-point lead at the half was its largest halftime lead of the year, eclipsing the eight-point advantage the Broncs enjoyed at Fairfield on Jan. 1.
- Broncs starting forward and second-leading scorer Dontrell McQuarter (Baton Rouge, LA/Believe Prep [Hinds C.C.]) missed the game for personal reasons.
- Christian Ings (Philadelphia, PA/Neumann-Goretti) was reinserted into the starting line-up for his 10^th start of the year in McQuarter's place. Allen Powell (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College H.S.) had taken Ings' spot in the line-up the prior two games.  

Broncs by the Numbers
- Murray made 9-of-15 shots, including 4-of-8 from long range, to go along with seven rebounds and team high's in assists (5) and steals (2).
- Murray has now scored 20 or more points five times this season. All five instances have come in the first game against that opponent, including four weekend series against MAAC opponents. Rider has won 3-of-4 games against MAAC opponents when Murray scored 20 or more points, with the lone loss coming last Friday against Siena (career-high 25 points).
- Powell and Pope each shot 5-of-9 from the floor, with Powell connecting on 3-of-4 three-pointers for 13 points and Pope making 2-of-5 from long range for 12 points.
- The 12 points tied Pope's season high, established last time out against Siena.
- Powell also registered career highs in assists (5) and blocked shots (2).
- Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson (Delta State, Nigeria/Monsignor Bonner) added eight points on 4-of-4 shooting to improve his team-leading shooting percentage to 67.1 percent.
- Henderson scored eight points and added eight rebounds, matching his career high established Jan. 9, 2019 for Cal State Northridge at UC Riverside.
- Tyrel Bladen (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) also contributed eight points.
- Rider outshot the Red Foxes, 49.2 percent (30-61) to 47.5 percent (28-59) from the floor, including a 44.0 percent (11-25) to 18.2 percent (4-22) advantage from long range.
- The 11 made three-pointers matched the Broncs' season high, established on 24 attempts at St. John's on Dec. 8. Rider has now limited an opponent to as few as four made three-pointers on three occasions, winning twice.
- Rider has outshot its opponent five times this season and has won four of those games, including all four instances against MAAC competition. The Broncs had eclipsed 50 percent in all four prior instances.
- A combined 15 free throws were attempted in the game, with Rider making 5-of-6 (83.3 percent) to Marist's 4-of-9 (44.4 percent).
- Marist edged Rider on the glass, 32-31, and enjoyed a 46-24 edge in points in the paint.
- Rider outscored Marist, 20-4, off turnovers. The Broncs forced 14 Marist turnovers, while coughing up a season-low eight turnovers themselves.
- Rider's 20-point lead was its second-largest of the season behind a 21-point advantage against Manhattan on Dec. 11.