GAME 12 – Saturday, December 23, 2023
Rider Broncs (3-8, 0-2 MAAC) vs. Penn Quakers (7-5, 0-0 Ivy)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Alumni Gym
Tip: 1 p.m.
Tickets – GoBroncs.com
Live Video – ESPN+
Live Audio – 107.7 The Bronc Retro
Live Stats – GoBroncs.com
X (Formerly Twitter) – Twitter.com/RiderMBB
 
What You Need To Know
- Rider plays host to Penn Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+. 
- The Broncs most recently earned an 88-85 road win in overtime at Delaware on Wednesday. Mervin James scored 25 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked four shots. Allen Powell added 17 points, including the go-ahead lay-up with 42 seconds remaining in the extra session.
- James leads the MAAC at 19.1 points per game and is fourth at 7.1 rpg.
- Allen Powell became the 42nd Rider player all-time to score 1,000 career points against Stonehill on Dec. 8. Already a 1,000-point scorer for his collegiate career with 1,584 points, including 620 in two seasons at North Alabama, James is next up on the Rider list with 964 points as a Bronc. 
- Penn is led by Clark Slajchert at 19.2 points per game on 50.9 percent shooting. His 3.4 assists per game are also second only to Nick Spinoso's 3.6 apg. Tyler Perkins (15.4 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 1.7 spg.) has also been a major contributor, while Sam Brown also averages in double figures at 11.8 ppg. Spinoso has also chipped in with 9.4 ppg. and leads the team at 7.2 rpg. Penn has scored impressive wins over Villanova and Monmouth this season.
- Rider and Penn are set to renew a local rivalry that has had just five installments, all since its inception in January 2004. The first three meetings were all decided in overtime, with the Broncs coming away victorious in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. The Quakers took their only win of the series in November 2011, a 78-72 overtime victory. The Broncs have won the last two – an 89-88 victory in 2013-14 and a 73-57 victory in 2014-15.
- The Broncs were picked as the MAAC Preseason Favorite by the league's coaches. Mervin James was also named MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, while Allen Powell joined James on the Preseason All-MAAC First Team.
- 12th-year Head Coach Kevin Baggett's teams have posted a 180-174 record. Baggett won MAAC Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2018.
- Only John Carpenter (292) and Thomas Leyden (187) have more wins at Rider.
- Listen to all Rider men's and women's home games this season, along with select road games, on 107.7 The Bronc Retro WRRC2. Tune in online at 1077TheBronc.com, or download our free Google Play, Apple, Alexa, Audacy and MyTuner apps and skills. Search and download: WRRC2.