PISCATAWAY, NJ – Dwight Murray, Jr. (Austell, GA/Pebblebrook [Incarnate Word]) scored a team-high 17 points, his fifth-straight game of 17 points or more to begin the season, but the Rider University men's basketball team fell at Rutgers, 76-46, Tuesday night at Jersey Mike's Arena. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 1-4, while the Scarlet Knights are now 4-1.

Rider scored first on a Tyrel Bladen (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) putback a minute into regulation, before Rutgers scored the next seven points and never trailed again. Rider fought back with Murray scoring seven of Rider's first 10 points to keep it reasonably close at 14-10, before the Scarlet Knights built the lead to double-digits with the next seven points. The Rutgers lead swelled to as many as 19 in the first half, before the Broncs finished the period on a 7-0 run to close to within 12 at 35-23.

The run extended to 9-0 as Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]) scored on the Broncs' first possession of the second half. But Rutgers responded with a 10-2 run and it was never close again.
 
Quotes & Notes
"We just had no flow. We didn't cut hard. We didn't screen. We didn't do anything well enough today. So, therefore, we allowed them to defend us pretty easily."

"At the end of the way, we'll get it turned around. We've got too many good guys in that locker room that are going to work and help us get this thing turned around." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Rider and Rutgers were scheduled to play each of the last two seasons before COVID-related cancellations. The Scarlet Knights extended their lead in the all-time series to 16-1, including the last four.
- Rider's last win over Rutgers came in 2007.
- Rider starting center Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson (Delta State, Nigeria/Bonner-Prendergast), who did not travel to Ireland due to visa issues, made his return to the lineup.
- Bladen made his first start of the season for Rider.  

Broncs by the Numbers
- Murray scored 17 or more points for the fifth-straight game to open the season. He made 5-of-12 attempts from the floor, including 2-of-5 from long range. He also hit 5-of-8 from the free-throw line.
- Tariq Ingraham (Philadelphia, PA/Bonner-Prendergast [Wake Forest]) was the next-highest-scoring Bronc with eight points on 2-of-4 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and blocked a shot.
- Bladen made his only field-goal attempt of the night to move to 12-of-13 (92.3 percent) on the year.
- Zahrion Blue (Princeton, NJ/Princeton [Lincoln]) added four points and six rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench.
- Rutgers outshot Rider, 44.8 percent (26-58) to 25.0 percent (15-60) from the floor, including a 33.3 percent (5-15) to 11.1 (2-18) advantage from long range.
- The Broncs took a 70.0 percent (14-20) to 59.4 percent (19-32) edge from the free-throw line.
- Rutgers edged Rider on the glass, 43-42.

Up Next
The Broncs return to action Wednesday, Nov. 30, when they play longtime rival Monmouth at 8 p.m. as the second game of a Rider men's and women's basketball doubleheader.