EMMITSBURG, MD – Dwight Murray, Jr. (Austell, GA/Pebblebrook [Incarnate Word]) had a game-high 19 points and eight rebounds and Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson (Delta State, Nigeria/Bonner-Prendergast) converted a pivotal three-point play late as the Rider University men's basketball team earned a 68-65 road win at MAAC newcomer Mount St. Mary's Saturday evening. With the win in their MAAC opener, the Broncs improve to 3-4 (1-0 MAAC), while the Mountaineers fall to 4-5 (1-1 MAAC).

The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring nine lead changes and five ties. The Mount shot 57.7 percent (15-26), including 7-of-8 from long range, to build a lead of as many as seven points late in the period. Consecutive Allen Powell (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College HS) three-pointers cut it to one. The Mountaineers scored the next five, but the Broncs scored the final four points of the period to make it a 39-37 Mount advantage at the break. Murray lead Rider, which shot 40.6 percent (13-32), with 13 points, three assists and two steals in the half. The Broncs enjoyed an 11-0 edge in fast-break points in the opening 20 minutes.

By the 15:38 mark of the second half, the Mountaineers had built the lead to five. However, Rider wouldn't allow the another Mount field goal for almost 10 minutes (9:56). Included in the stretch was a 9-0 Rider run to take a 56-49 lead an a Powell three at the 6:42 mark. The Mount countered with an 11-2 run to retake the lead, 60-58, on a Jalen Benjamin floater in the paint with 2:51 left. The Mount lead grew to three, before Murray buried a game-tying three-pointer with just under two minutes to play.

Still tied at 62-62 with less than a minute remaining, the Broncs had an inbounds play with four seconds on the shot clock. The initial shot missed, but Ogemuno-Johnson was there for the putback and conventional three-point play. The Broncs got a defensive stop and Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]) made a pair of free throws to extend the lead to five. The Mountaineers still managed to whittle the game to one possession and had a pair of looks at a three to tie in the final seconds. But neither would fall.
 
Quotes & Notes
"It's difficult to sit in the half court in college basketball and just execute your offense. So we try and force some turnovers. We try and speed teams up. We try and force it so we can get up and down and get some easy baskets. I thought our guys did a good job of executing. Having just a day and a half really to get prepared for a team that runs a lot of different offensive sets and what have you, I thought our guys did a good job of taking the game plan and executing it."

"Every game is important. It's hard to win and it's hard to win on the road. So, to get a road, more in particular and more importantly, was huge today. These guys have been pretty good at home. Great crowd. And they shoot well at home. So, we'll see when they get on the road. But they shot well in the first half and give our guys credit for making the adjustments in the second half." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Rider leads the all-time series with Mount St. Mary's, 14-12. The Broncs and Mountaineers played 13 times in the Broncs' five seasons in the NEC, including nine times over their last three seasons in the conference from 1994-95 through 1996-97. Today's meeting was the first in the series since that time and – with a group of players not yet born in 1997 - the Broncs won a second-straight game over the Mountaineers. 
- The game was Mount St. Mary's second since joining the MAAC and the first at home. The Mountaineers won their MAAC opener on the road at Saint Peter's on Thursday.
- Rider is now 15-11 all-time in MAAC openers, including a 7-4 mark under Kevin Baggett. Rider has won four of its last five league openers.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Murray scored 17 or more points for the seventh-straight game to open the season. He made 6-of-15 attempts from the floor, including 2-of-6 from long range and made 5-of-7 free-throw attempts. He also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds, dished out three assists and added two steals.
- After Mount St. Mary's made 7-of-8 three-point attempts in the first half and extended to 8-of-10 early in the second half, the Broncs held the Mountaineers to just 1-of-8 in the final 15:37.
- Rider held Mount St. Mary's without a field goal for a span of 9:56 of game time from a Jaylin Gibson three-pointer at the 15:38 to a Frantisek Barton jumper at the 5:42 mark. Rider trailed by five at the outset of the stretch and built seven-point lead in the midst of it, allowing just three free-throw conversions over the nearly 10 minutes.
- Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama] added 14 points and seven rebounds in 34 minutes.
- Powell chipped in with 13 points, including 3-of-6 shooting from long range.
- Ogemuno-Johnson, Allen Betrand (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic [Towson/Rhode Island]) and Corey McKeithan (Windsor, CT/Windsor) added six points apiece.
- Mount St. Mary's outshot the Broncs, 45.1 percent (23-51) to 37.9 percent (22-58), from the floor, including a 50.0 percent (9-18) to 40.0 percent (6-15) edge from long range.
- The Mount also took an 83.3 percent (10-12) to 78.3 percent (18-23) edge from the free-throw line.
- Mount St. Mary's edged the Broncs, 35-34, on the glass.
- Rider forced 18 turnovers and committed just 10 turnovers, en route to a 24-11 edge in points off turnovers.
- The Broncs took a 20-0 advantage in fast-break points and a 19-11 edge in second-chance points.
- The Broncs led for 9:21 of game play to the Mountaineers' 22:03.

Up Next
The Broncs return to non-conference action Wednesday, when they travel to first-year Division I Stonehill. Opening tip from North Easton, MA, is scheduled for 7 p.m.