LEWISBURG, PA – Dwight Murray, Jr. (Austell, GA/Pebblebrook [Incarnate Word]) scored a career-high 30 points in a double-double with 13 rebounds, but the Rider University men's basketball team fell at Bucknell, 81-74, Wednesday night at Sojka Pavilion. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 2-2, while the Bison are now 1-2.

Following a slow start that saw Bucknell build a 15-point lead by the four-minute mark of the first half, Rider finished the period on a 19-2 run to take its first lead, 35-33, on Sedrick Altman's (Rialto, CA/Colony [Pepperdine]) triple at the halftime buzzer. Corey McKeithan (Windsor, CT/Windsor) sparked the run with a three-point play and a three-pointer, before Murray scored the next seven, including a three-point play of his own. Allen Powell (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College H.S.) and Altman capped the run with three-pointers in the final 62 seconds.

The teams traded early second-half buckets and the lead with nine lead changes and a tie in the opening seven minutes. But Bucknell would go on a 9-0 run to build a 55-45 lead by the midway point of the half and never trailed again. Rider twice whittled the deficit down to six, but could draw no closer.
 
Quotes & Notes
"I thought Sedrick Altman did some good things tonight. Obviously, DJ. I thought Nehemiah Benson did some great things and is giving us good minutes. We need to get some guys off the bench to give us good minutes and we need our best players to be our best players. And that has not been the case to thing point consistently."

"We're not anticipating things that we're going over with these guys on the scout. We've got to get better, which we will. It's early. Guys are still trying to figure it out." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Rider has now led at the half in all four of its games this season.
- Bucknell leads the all-time series, 31-25. The two teams were Middle Atlantic Conference and East Coast Conference foes from the mid-1960's into the early 1990's.
- Nine Broncs saw action in the game.
- Dimencio Vaughn (New York, NY/Callaway/The Masters School [Ole Miss]) was held scoreless in a game for Rider for the first time his first and fourth games as a Bronc as a freshman in November 2016.
- The Broncs return to action Saturday, when they travel to Buffalo as part of the Cancun Challenge. The 2 p.m. tip-off will be broadcast on ESPN3.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Murray eclipsed his previous career high of 25 (vs. Siena, Jan. 15, 2021). He also set new career highs in field goals made (10) and attempted (24), while matching his previous career high in three-point attempts (8).
- Murray's 13 rebounds were two off his career high of 15 last Dec. 11 at Manhattan. The double-double was his first of the year and the fourth of his career, with all four coming as a Bronc in the last two seasons.
- Murray also led the Broncs with four assists and three steals.
- Murray was the only Bronc in double figures, with Altman and Powell finishing with nine points apiece.
- Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson (Delta State, Nigeria/Monsignor Bonner) made 3-of-4 attempts, but played just 14 minutes due to foul trouble. Fellow starter Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]) also played just 15 minutes before fouling out.
- Nehemiah Benson (Streetsboro, OH/Lutheran East) also gave the Broncs a good 20 minutes with eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, before also fouling out.
- McKeithan chipped in with six points and five rebounds.
- In addition to his nine points, Altman grabbed five rebounds, made two steals and blocked a shot.
- For the game, Bucknell outshot Rider, 49.1 percent (27-55) to 34.9 percent (29-83) from the floor, including a 62.5 percent (15-24) to 34.9 percent (15-43) edge in the second half. The Bison shot 38.5 percent (10-26) from long range to the Broncs' 16.1 percent (5-31).
- Rider's 83 field-goal attempts are the most since taking 88 shots in a double-overtime MAAC Quarterfinal loss to Niagara in 2009.
- Rider shot the better percentage from the free-throw line, 91.7 percent (11-12) to 77.3 percent (17-22). But the Bison had six more conversions on 10 more attempts.
- The Broncs outrebounded the Bison, 45-40, including a 19-5 edge on the offensive glass. The discrepancy led to a 17-2 edge in second-chance points.
- Rider turned the ball over just eight times, while forcing 14 turnovers.