ALBANY, NY – Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]) posted a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds, but the Rider University men's basketball team fell at Siena, 67-65, in the MAAC opener Friday night at MVP Arena. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 1-6 (0-1 MAAC), while the Saints are now 2-5 (1-0 MAAC).

Runs were the story of the first half, with the Broncs opening the game on a 7-0 run and extending to a lead of nine, which it maintained to the 9:50 mark when James scored off a Ruben Rodriguez (Reading, PA/Reading) feed. But Siena answered with seven-straight to cut the advantage to two. Soon thereafter, the Broncs answered with a 7-0 run of their own to push the advantage back to eight. A 9-0 Siena run near the end of the period gave the Saints their first lead of the half with 17 seconds left, before Corey McKeithan (Windsor, CT/Windsor) knocked down a buzzer beater from the elbow to tie the game at 36-36 at the break. James led the Broncs with 12 points and five rebounds at the half.

Neither team could create separation in the second half, with the largest lead through the first 19 minutes of the period being three points. But after the Broncs extended to a three-point lead, 59-56 with 4:13 left, on a McKeithan lay-up and two James free throws, a Zek Tekin three and two Bralyn Smith free throws gave a two-point lead back to Siena. After James made 1-of-2 free throws to cut the deficit to one, Siena scored on consecutive possessions to take its largest lead, 65-60.

Still, the Broncs had their chances. Allen Powell (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College HS) scored on a lay-up and, after a missed Tekin front end of a 1-and-1, James got inside for two more. The Broncs then fouled Giovanni Emeruju, who also missed a front end to give the ball back to the Broncs, down one. Powell sprung free for an uncontested lay-up, but misfired with 12 seconds remaining. Once more, Tekin missed the front end, but the Saints collected an offensive rebound and Tekin was again fouled. Tekin made both attempts this time for a 67-64 lead and the Saints fouled McKeithan, who made the first and misfired on the second with six seconds remaining, but the ball was batted out of bounds off Siena with 3.5 seconds remaining. But the Broncs wouldn't get a shot off and the Saints escaped with the win.  

Quotes & Notes
"You've got to make lay-ups. You've got to block out. You've got to execute. You can't turn the ball over down the stretch and you can't give up extra free-throw opportunities when you don't block out or when you don't have anybody there and the ball is there and we don't get the ball. They won the ball on hustle plays, 50/50's. That's where the game was won." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Siena leads the all-time series with the Broncs, 39-20, including a 20-6 mark on the Saints' home court. - The Broncs and Saints split the regular season series in each of the last two seasons, with both teams winning on the road in 2021-22 and taking the home contest in 2022-23.
- The Broncs played the final installment in a six-game road trip. Rider hasn't played at Alumni Gym since the Nov. 6 season opener against Immaculata.
- Rider is now 15-12 all-time in MAAC openers, including a 7-5 mark under Baggett. Rider had won four of its last five league openers.

Broncs by the Numbers
- James posted his second double-double of the year and the 16^th of his collegiate career. He had 20 points on 6-of-14 from the floor and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. He grabbed 10 rebounds, including three on the offensive glass.
- Powell finished with 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including 1-of-3 from long range.
- McKeithan had 11 points, five rebounds and a team-high four assists, making 5-of-10 from the floor and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line.
- T.J. Weeks Jr. (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken Catholic [UMass]) added eight points and eight rebounds.
- Ingraham had six points and seven rebounds.
- Siena outshot Rider, 44.6 percent (25-56) to 41.0 percent (25-61) from the floor.
- The Broncs took a 27.3 percent (3-11) to 20.8 percent (5-24) advantage from long range.
- Rider also took a 70.6 percent (12-17) to 57.1 percent (12-21) edge from the free-throw line.
- Rider outrebounded Siena, 41-35, including a 17-14 edge on the offensive glass.
- The Broncs took a 12-4 edge on fast-break points.
- The Saints outscored Rider, 38-32, in the paint.

Up Next
The Broncs return home to face Fairfield Sunday. Tip-off from Alumni Gym is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.