LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University men's basketball team fell in an overtime heartbreaker to Siena, 76-75, Sunday afternoon at Alumni Gym. The loss snaps the Broncs' (10-14, 6-8 MAAC) four-game winning streak. Siena improves to 12-9 (9-4 MAAC) with the win.

Siena used an early 11-0 run to build a 10-point lead in the opening seven minutes, before Rider responded with an 11-2 spurt to cut the deficit to one. Dwight Murray, Jr. (Austell, GA/Pebblebrook [Incarnate Word]) led the Broncs with five points in the run. The Broncs grabbed the lead back four times in the final five-plus minutes of the half, before a 7-1 Siena spurt put the Saints on top by five. But Murray's step-back three-pointer at the halftime buzzer sent the teams to the locker room with the Saints' lead just two, 40-38.

The Broncs came out firing in the second half, scoring the first seven points of the period to build a five-point lead. Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson (Delta State, Nigeria/Monsignor Bonner) started the run with a three-point play, before Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]) scored consecutive buckets to cap the run.

The game remained close for the remainder of the half, including a 67-67 tie with 2:28 remaining after Jared Billups connected on a lay-up. Rider retook the lead at the 1:39 mark on Murray's floater and, after a defensive stop, extended to a four-point lead on Allen Powell's (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College HS) jumper off glass with the shot clock running down. But the Saints drew a foul, got 1-of-2 Billups free throws, forced a turnover and got an Anthony Gaines lay-up to pull to within one. Both teams turned the ball over on their next possessions – the Broncs on the inbounds and the Saints on an administrative technical foul for calling a timeout they didn't have. Powell made 1-of-2 free throws to make it a 72-70 Rider lead before Corey McKeithan (Windsor, CT/Windsor) was fouled, but missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Billups was then fouled with 11 seconds left and converted both free throws to tie the game at 72-72. Murray's jumper at the buzzer wouldn't fall, forcing overtime.

The Broncs didn't allow a Siena field goal in the extra session, but the Saints won the game with 4-of-5 shooting from the line in the extra session. On the flip side, Siena was not called for a single foul in overtime. Nehemiah Benson (Streetsboro, OH/Lutheran East) knocked down a three at the 3:10 mark to put Rider on top, 75-74. Neither team could score again until the six-second mark, when Benson was whistled for a foul, sending Gaines to the line for two free throws that he converted to give Siena a 76-75 lead. Back the other way, Jeremiah Pope's (Clinton, NC/Clinton [Brunswick C.C.]) deep three wouldn't fall at the buzzer.

Quotes & Notes
"Poor execution down the stretch. That's it in a nutshell. Offensively and defensively."

"We didn't have to be in that position. We've been in this position over and over again and we've got to grow up from it. We can't keep making the same mistakes. Can't come out of a timeout doing what you're not supposed to do. Got to make free throws when the game's on the line. Good teams make free throws." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Siena owns a 37-19 lead in the all-time series with the Broncs. The Broncs won the first meeting of the season, 74-60, Feb. 4 in Albany. The last 18 meetings at home for Rider vs. Siena had been a flip of a coin, with each team winning nine times since 2004-05.
- Rider has fallen in both of its overtime contests this season, both at home, including a 77-70 setback Jan. 14 against Quinnipiac. The Broncs have fallen in four-straight overtime contests dating back to 2018-19. Rider's last OT victory came Dec. 16, 2017 against Wagner.
- The Broncs return to action Friday, when they travel to Monmouth. Tip-off from West Long Branch is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN3.

Broncs by the Numbers
- James led the Broncs with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor, 1-of-3 from long range and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. He also added five rebounds, all on the offensive glass, a block and a steal.
- Powell finished with 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-6 from long range. After hitting on 21-consecutive free-throw attempts entering the game, he misfired on his first attempt of the day and went 2-for-4 on the day. He added three assists and matched his career high with three steals for the second-straight game.
- Pope contributed 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-3 from long range, and five rebounds.
- Ogemuno-Johnson posted his second double-double of the year and the third of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He made 4-of-6 field-goal attempts and 2-of-3 free-throw attempts.
- Murray added 10 points and seven assists.
- Dimencio Vaughn (New York, NY/Callaway/The Masters School [Ole Miss]) had four points, nine rebounds and a block. The block pushed him into a tie for 10^th in program history with 81. Already the only Bronc in the top 15 in points, rebounds, blocks and steals, he's now further into rarefied air as the only player in the top 10 in all four categories.
- Rider outshot Siena, 46.9 percent (30-64) to 39.1 percent (25-64) from the floor and 45.0 percent (9-20) to 31.0 percent (9-29) from long range.
- Siena took an 85.0 percent (17-20) to 60.0 percent (6-10) edge from the free-throw line, enjoying an additional 10 attempts.
- Rider took advantages of 21-12 on points off turnovers and 36-24 on points in the paint.
- The Broncs had more bench points than the opposition for the first time in MAAC play since Dec. 5, outscoring Siena's reserves, 22-18.
- Rebounds were an even 37-37. Siena took an 11-9 edge in offensive boards, resulting in a 14-10 edge in second-chance points.
- The game featured 19 lead changes and nine ties.   
- After an evenly-called first 40 minutes (15 fouls against Siena, 14 against Rider), the Broncs were whistled for four fouls in overtime to zero infractions called against the Saints.