LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Dimencio Vaughn (New York, NY/Callaway/The Masters School [Ole Miss]) posted his team-leading sixth double-double of the year with 20 points and 11 rebounds and Dwight Murray, Jr. (Austell, GA/Pebblebrook [Incarnate Word]) added a team-high 21 points as the Rider University men's basketball team defeated Manhattan, 76-67, Tuesday night at Alumni Gym. With the win, the Broncs (9-13, 5-7 MAAC) have won three straight and four of their last five, while the Jaspers slip to 11-10 (4-8) with their third-straight setback on a three-game road trip through Western New York and Lawrenceville.

The Broncs jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the early going with the first five from Vaughn and a triple from Murray. After eight of the next 10 from Manhattan, the remainder of the first half would be a see-saw affair. In total, the game was tied nine times and featured eight lead changes in the opening 20 minutes. Vaughn led the Broncs with 16 first-half points and seven rebounds, hitting 5-of-8 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Murray also added 11, while Allen Powell (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College HS) dished out four assists.

The second half remained nip and tuck with Manhattan leading by three, 53-50, at the 13:01 mark, before Rider used an 8-0 run to build a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Vaughn got things going with a lay-up, before Powell scored the next six points on three free throws after being foul attempting a triple, immediately stealing the ball in the backcourt and being fouled for a conventional three-point play at the 10:54 mark.

The Jaspers clawed to within one, 62-61, on a Jose Perez's three-pointer with 6:51 remaining, but couldn't get over the hump. Consecutive Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]) buckets inside and an Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson (Delta State, Nigeria/Monsignor Bonner) free throw made it a three-possession game, 70-63, with three minutes left and the Broncs maintained at least a five-point cushion the rest of the way.

Quotes & Notes
"All of our guys are finding their way. We're peaking at the right time. Guys are coming together. It's fun to watch. It was a fun game. A little dicey down at the end, but it was a fun game. These guys took it. We earned it. In the past, we were on our heels. We've been the aggressors in this winning streak. Of late, we've been the aggressors. This is what happens when you don't play on your heels and you are the aggressor."

"I thought the turning point was back when we lost to Canisius, to be honest with you, when we lost with the shot at the last second. We were all hurt with that. But I thought we turned the corner right then. We came back and won the Niagara game the way that we did. Obviously we lost to Fairfield here, but I thought it started then. These guys have been unbelievable with the scouts and the preparation, which has equaled success. Everybody has bought in. You see guys cheering for one another, guys talking to one another and no one is getting down on one another. When we struggled earlier, we were all looking for some answers. But again, these guys have stuck together." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Rider leads the all-time series with Manhattan, 34-25. The two teams split a weekend series in Riverdale last year, with the Broncs taking the first game, 82-64, before dropping the second, 87-77. Rider is 13-7 against Manhattan under Head Coach Kevin Baggett, including wins in each of the last seven meetings in the Broncs Zoo.
- The Broncs have won three-straight games for the first time since the final three games of 2019-20, before the MAAC Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  
- The Broncs will look for their first winning streak of four or more games since earlier in the 2019-20 season when they travel to in-state foe Saint Peter's on Friday. Tip-off from the newly-renovated and renamed Run Baby Run Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN3.  
- Rider's last winning streak of four or more games was a five-game streak from 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).

Broncs by the Numbers
- Vaughn made 6-of-11 attempts from the floor and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. He grabbed five of his team-high 11 rebounds on the offensive glass. Vaughn also led the Broncs with a pair of steals.
- Murray made 9-of-15 from the floor, including 2-of-4 from long range, in scoring his 21 points. He also added six rebounds, four assists, matched Vaughn's two steals and blocked a shot.
- James made 8-of-10 field-goal attempts and added nine rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. He also blocked a shot.
- Powell had a strong all-around performance with 13 points, including 6-of-6 shooting from the free-throw line, to go along with a career-high six assists and a steal in 37 minutes.
- Ogemuno-Johnson posted a modest four points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal. However, the Broncs were +13 with him on the court, the best mark on the team ahead of Murray's +11.
- Rider outshot Manhattan, 45.8 percent (27-59) to 40.0 percent (22-55).
- The Broncs limited Manhattan to 5-for-23 shooting (21.7 percent) over the game's final 13 minutes.
- The Jaspers outshot Rider, 34.8 percent (8-23) to 20.0 percent (3-15) from long range. However, after Manhattan made 7-of-13 three-point attempts in the first half, the Broncs cleaned up their long range defense in the second, limiting the Jaspers to 1-of-10 in the period, including misfires on their first four attempts of the period and their last six.
- Rider outrebounded Manhattan, 40-34, in spite of a 15-12 Manhattan edge in offensive boards.
- Rider committed 11 turnovers to the Jaspers' 13, but turned the modest discrepancy into an 18-9 edge in points off turnovers.
- The Broncs outscored Manhattan, 32-26, in the paint and 11-8 on fast breaks.
- Manhattan had a 14-10 cushion on second-chance points.  
- Rider had more assists (14) than turnovers (11) for the 10^th time in last 12 games.