GAME 13 – Friday, December 29, 2023
Rider Broncs (3-9, 0-2 MAAC) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-6, 1-1 Big 10)
Location: University Park, PA – Bryce Jordan Center
Tip: 2 p.m.
Live Video – B1G+
Live Stats – GoPSUSports.com
X (Formerly Twitter) – Twitter.com/RiderMBB
 
What You Need To Know
- Rider travels to Penn State Friday at 2 p.m. on B1G+. 
- The Broncs have played to an overtime decision in each of their last two - an 88-85 win at Delaware on Dec. 20 and a 77-73 loss at home to Penn on Dec. 23.
- Mervin James was named MAAC Player of the Week on Dec. 26 for averaging 22.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 blocks per game in the two overtime decisions. He scored 25 points at Delaware and added 20 against Penn.
- Allen Powell scored a season-high 21 points and hit six three-pointers in the Penn setback. He hit four of his five regulation triples in the final four minutes and added another in overtime.
- James leads the MAAC at 19.2 points per game and is third at 7.5 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 1,604 points, including 620 in two seasons at North Alabama, James is next up on the Rider list with 984 points as a Bronc. 
- Penn State is led by Kanye Cleary at 17.3 points per game, while Ace Baldwin Jr. has added 13.9 ppg. and a team-high 4.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game in his first year after following new PSU Head Coach Mike Rhoades to Happy Valley from VCU. Qudus Wahab also averages in double figures at 10.1 ppg. and a team-high 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
- Some of Rider's most memorable high-major successes have come at Penn State's expense, including wins in each of the last two against PSU. Most recently, Frederick Scott's triple at the buzzer gave the Broncs a 71-70 win on Dec. 22, 2017. Before that, the Jason Thompson-led Broncs defeated Penn State in November 2007 at the Old Spice Classic. Penn State won the first three meetings in January and November 1981 and the 1998 NIT for a 3-2 lead in the series. 
- 12th-year Head Coach Kevin Baggett's teams have posted a 180-175 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.