JERSEY CITY, NJ – The Rider University men's basketball team held Saint Peter's without a field goal for a span of more than 12 and a half minutes in the second half to earn a 58-49 road win Friday night at Run Baby Run Arena. With the win, the Broncs' fourth straight and fifth in the last six games, Rider improves to 10-13 (6-7 MAAC), snapping the second-place Peacocks' (11-9, 9-4 MAAC) six-game home winning streak.

Rider took early four-point leads at 8-4 and 10-6 on the strength of four points each from Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]) and Allen Powell (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College HS). After Saint Peter's scored the next four and James knocked down a three, the Peacocks used an 8-0 run to surge ahead, 18-13, by the 10:39 mark of the period. Consecutive three's from Isiah Dasher and Hassan Drame made it an eight-point Peacocks lead with 7:09 to play in the half, before Rider outscored Saint Peter's, 8-2, the rest of the period to close to within two, 28-26. Dimencio Vaughn (New York, NY/Callaway/The Masters School [Ole Miss]) scored five of the eight points.

The Broncs began the second half like they ended the first – on an 8-2 run. James made consecutive buckets to open the run and Vaughn and Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson (Delta State, Nigeria/Monsignor Bonner) capped the run with two points apiece. Saint Peter's would answer with an 11-2 run sparked by consecutive Daryl Banks III three-pointers to retake a 41-36 lead at the 12:43 mark. The Rider defense effectively didn't allow another field goal, with only Banks' lightly-contested lay-up with nine seconds left capping the game's scoring.

Rider retook the lead for good with seven-straight points as part of a 14-1 run covering 6:27 of game time. Vaughn, Ogemuno-Johnson, Powell and Corey McKeithan (Windsor, CT/Windsor) contributed three-points each in the run, with McKeithan's right-wing triple at the 5:15 mark capping the run. Rider would only allow six free throws for six points after the 12:43 mark until Banks' lay-up with nine seconds left, building a lead of as many as 11 points on Dwight Murray, Jr.'s (Austell, GA/Pebblebrook [Incarnate Word]) floater at the end of the shot clock with 18 seconds remaining.  

Quotes & Notes
"I thought our guys did a great job, especially in the second half. We tried to keep them out of the lane. We stopped overhelping and giving up open looks. I thought we did a good job on Ndefo and the guys in the post. That was the key to the second half – not overhelping and giving up open shots." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- The Broncs hold a 40-34 lead over Saint Peter's in the all-time series. The two teams have now split the last two regular-season series, with three of the four games and two Rider wins coming in Jersey City after last year's games were played as a two-game, single-site weekend series. Kevin Baggett's teams are 13-10 against Saint Peter's, including an 8-3 mark in Jersey City.
- The Broncs have won four-straight games for the first time since a five-game winning streak Nov. 23-Dec. 16, 2019 – a run consisting of an Air Force Reserve Tip-Off Tournament crown with wins over Columbia (Nov. 23) and Vermont (Nov. 24) at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, and three-straight home wins over Bucknell (Dec. 3), LIU (Dec. 14) and Marist (Dec. 16).
- Rider held a team to fewer than 50 points for the first time since a 60-47 win over Manhattan at Alumni Gym on Jan. 19, 2019.
- The Broncs held an opponent to fewer than 50 points on the road for the first time since Jan. 28, 2016, when Rider held the same Saint Peter's Peacocks to 45 points in a 76-45 victory.
- The Broncs return to action Sunday, when they play host to Siena. Tip-off is scheduled for a Super Bowl Sunday-friendly 1 p.m.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Four Broncs scored in double figures and a fifth had nine points, led by Powell's 13 points. Ogemuno-Johnson added 12, James had 11 and Vaughn scored 10. Murray rounded out the Broncs' starters with nine points.
- Vaughn and Murray led Rider with eight rebounds apiece. Vaughn also contributed five steals, two assists and two blocked shots, while Murray had a team-high five assists.
- Powell also matched his career high with three steals.
- Ogemuno-Johnson grabbed seven rebounds, while James had six.
- The Broncs outshot Saint Peter's, 35.0 percent (21-60) to 32.7 percent (17-52), from the floor.
- Saint Peter's took a 27.8 percent (5-18) to 20.0 percent (3-15) edge from long range and a 71.4 percent (10-14) to 59.1 percent (13-22) advantage from the free-throw line.
- Rider outrebounded Saint Peter's, 42-40, including a 14-8 edge on the offensive glass.
- The Broncs didn't allow a double-figures scorer from Saint Peter's, with Matthew Lee and Isiah Dasher leading the way with nine points apiece.
- After committing 19 turnovers in the first meeting, Rider flipped the script, forcing 19 Saint Peter's turnovers tonight. The Broncs limited their turnover figure to 13.
- McKeithan's big three accounted for Rider's only three points off the bench. Saint Peter's took a 25-3 edge in bench scoring.
- With his 10 points, Vaughn passed former teammate Jimmie Taylor (1,539 points) for 10^th in program history with 1,545 points.