UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]) scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed six rebounds, but the Rider University men's basketball team fell at Penn State, 90-63, Friday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 3-10, while the Nittany Lions are now 7-6.

After the teams exchanged buckets early, Penn State scored 13 of the next 15 to establish a double-digit lead. The first-half Nittany Lions lead would swell to as many as 25 points on two occasions.

The Broncs gradually whittled the deficit down to as few as 12 on a pair of James free throws at the 7:55 mark of the second half. But Penn State responded with the next 15 points to remove all doubt.   
 
Quotes & Notes
"We started off very passive. I thought guys played very intimidated early on. Once they got their nerves, we started pressing and moving around, in particular in the second half, we were able to cut the lead down to 12 and then some calls got made and the lead ballooned back up again."

"I just thought once we started pressing, got some easy baskets and got to the free-throw line, we got after them a little bit and that's when we were able to get back into the game. We missed some lay-ups that I think we could've cut the lead even more. But that's what I'm encouraged by – the fact that guys didn't give up and kept competing."

"We've just got to get locked in and get ready for Quinnipiac on January 5^th and now turn our attention to league play and go from there." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Penn State increased its lead in the all-time series to 4-2. Some of Rider's most memorable high-major successes have come at Penn State's expense, including wins in each of the prior 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.
- With his bucket at the 11:09 mark of the second half, James became the 43^rd Bronc to score 1,000 points in the cranberry and white. He achieved the feat in his 76^th game as a Bronc, while he has 1,623 for his five-year, 129-game career, spanning two years at North Alabama and three more at Rider.
- The Broncs have not won a game they've trailed at the half this season (0-10).

Broncs by the Numbers
- James scored 19 points on 7-of-17 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
- Allen Powell (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College H.S.) scored eight of his 10 points in the second half. He also dished out a team-high four assists.
- Tariq Ingraham (Philadelphia, PA/Bonner-Prendergast [Wake Forest]) and T.J. Weeks Jr. (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken Catholic [UMass]) added seven points apiece. Ingraham also matched James' six rebounds to lead the Broncs.
- DJ Dudley (San Diego, CA/LA Premier Prep) added six points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in a season-high 25 minutes off the bench.
- Penn State outshot the Broncs, 54.5 percent (30-55) to 37.3 percent (22-59) for the game, including a 35.0 percent (7-20) to 12.5 percent (2-16) margin from long range.
- The Broncs took an 89.5 percent (17-19) to 82.1 percent (23-28) edge from the free-throw line.
- Rider outrebounded Penn State, 33-30, including a 13-7 edge in offensive rebounds.
- The offensive rebounding advantage resulted in a 19-6 Rider edge in second-chance points.
- Rider's 23 turnovers were seven more than its previous season high of 16 (Nov. 10 at Marquette). The Broncs forced 16 Nittany Lions turnovers, but Penn State took a 27-11 edge in points off turnovers.
- PSU outscored the Broncs, 40-30, in the paint and 16-6 on fast breaks.

Up Next
The Broncs return to action Friday, Jan. 5, when they resume MAAC play at Quinnipiac. Tip-off from Peoples United Bank Center is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.