NEWARK, DE – Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]) scored a team-high 25 points as the Rider University men's basketball team earned an 88-85 overtime victory at Delaware Wednesday night at the Bob Carpenter Center. With the win, the Broncs improve to 3-8, while the Blue Hens drop to 8-4.

Delaware led in the early going, 9-5, before the Broncs went on a 12-2 run to take the lead. Corey McKeithan (Windsor, CT/Windsor) knocked down a pair of three's in the run, while Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]), Tariq Ingraham (Philadelphia, PA/Bonner-Prendergast [Wake Forest]) and T.J. Weeks Jr. (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken Catholic [UMass]) added buckets in the spurt to put the Broncs on top, 17-11, at the 13:45 mark. The Blue Hens responded with six-straight to tie the game and briefly retook a one-point lead, before the Broncs scored six straight, including the last four from Ingraham to retake the lead, which swelled to as many as seven on a Weeks Jr. pull up with 2:31 remaining. Later, a 6-0 Delaware run would tie the game at 38-38 with 38 seconds left, before a strong Ingraham move in the post gave Rider a 40-38 lead at the break.

The Broncs shot 59.3 percent (16-27) in the first half, including 4-of-10 from long range. James led the Broncs with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and Ingraham added 10 points on 3-of-4 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.

Rider led for much of the second half, including an eight-point cushion on Allen Powell's (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College H.S.) three-pointer at the 13:27 mark. A 7-0 Delaware run capped by two Jyare Davis free throws at the 8:55 mark gave the Blue Hens their first lead of the half, but Delaware wouldn't lead again in the period. Rider would pull ahead 10 times in the period, with the Blue Hens coming back to tie it each time, including at 80-80 with 58 seconds remaining on a pair of Christian Ray free throws. Powell's attempt from the baseline at the regulation buzzer wouldn't fall and the game headed to overtime.

In the overtime session, the teams traded free throws through the first four-plus minutes until Powell connected on a coast-to-coast, up-and-under reverse lay-up with 42 seconds left to give Rider an 86-85 lead. On the other end, the Broncs forced a turnover, but through contact, Anthony McCall (Philadelphia, PA/Academy of the New Church) was whistled for a travel with 24 seconds left. Ray would misfire on in the paint with five seconds left, Powell grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made both free throws and the Broncs fouled with 1.1 seconds remaining, up by three. Gerald Drumgoole Jr. missed both free throws and James grabbed the rebound on the second to close out the victory.  

Quotes & Notes
"We've been coming. We've been practicing right. Again, when we played the schedule we played, it was about getting everybody's mental back, our confidence back. Now we have time to practice. I think you're starting to see us come out of it and the result tonight."

"We always talk about getting better. Each game, coming out and getting better. Winning this game on the road is huge. They're a good team and they've got a bunch of good players and are well-coached. So, this definitely was a good win. And we needed it."

"Our guys were refusing to lose. They kept saying that in the timeouts. They did a good job communicating. There were some breakdowns. But again, when the game mattered, we got the stops that we needed to win the game." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Delaware leads the all-time series, which dates back to January 1970, 33-31. The one-time East Coast Conference foes met for the first time in nearly a decade last season, with the Blue Hens taking a 60-59 victory on Jameer Nelson Jr.'s tip-in with 3.6 second remaining.  
- Delaware entered the night No. 95 in the NET Rankings, utilized by the NCAA in Tournament selection.
- The Broncs have a win over a CAA team for the second-straight year after defeating Monmouth last year.
- After losing five-straight overtime games from February 2019 to February 2022, the Broncs have won two of their last three in the extra session (at Fairfield, Jan. 29, 2023 – win; at Quinnipiac, Feb. 19, 2023 – loss). Each of the Broncs' last three overtime games have been played on the road.
- The Broncs won on the road for the first time this season.
- Rider led at the half for the third time this season and is now 3-0 when leading after 20 minutes.
- The Broncs made their first 13 free-throw attempts, including all 11 in regulation.
- Rider blocked 10 shots in a single game for the first time since Feb. 14, 2016.  
- Rider shot over 50 percent for the second time this season and the first time against a Division I opponent (Immaculata, .554, Nov. 6).

Broncs by the Numbers
- James scored 25 points on 10-of-16 from the floor, 1-of-3 from long range and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. He grabbed seven rebounds, blocked a team-high four shots and dished out three assists.
- Powell scored 17 points, matching his season high, while matching his career high of six assists. He made 7-of-15 attempts from the floor and both of his free-throw attempts. He also grabbed four rebounds, matching his season high.
- Ingraham scored a career-high 16 points on 5-of-6 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line before fouling out in overtime. He also grabbed four rebounds, dished out two assists and blocked two shots in 29 minutes.
- McKeithan and Weeks Jr. scored nine points apiece. Weeks Jr. made 4-of-6 attempts from the floor, including 1-of-2 from long range. McKeithan did his damage on 3-of-4 shooting from long range. Weeks Jr. led the Broncs with eight rebounds and blocked a shot. McKeithan added five rebounds and two assists.
- The Broncs' 17 assists were their most this season against a Division I opponent (24 vs. Immaculata, Nov. 6).
-  JT Langston Jr. (Fort Wayne, IN/San Gabriel Academy [East Los Angeles College]) chipped in with five points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots before fouling out in 18 minutes.
- DJ Dudley (San Diego, CA/LA Premier Prep) contributed five points on a three pointer and two free throws, while grabbing two rebounds in nine minutes.
- Rider outshot Delaware, 54.2 percent (32-59) to 43.3 percent (29-67), including 50.0 percent (7-14) to 25.0 percent (6-24) margin from long range.
- The Broncs also took an 88.9 percent (17-19) to 80.8 percent (21-26) edge from the free-throw line.
- Rider outrebounded Delaware, 40-29.
- Delaware turned the ball over just four times in 45 minutes to the Broncs' 12 turnovers, resulting in a 14-4 Blue Hens' advantage in points off turnovers.
- Rider led for 28:32 of game time to Delaware's 5:54 with a lead.  

Up Next
The Broncs return to action Saturday, when they play host to Penn. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.