GAME 9 – Friday, December 8, 2023
Rider Broncs (1-7, 0-2 MAAC) vs. Stonehill Skyhawks (1-8, 0-0 NEC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Alumni Gym
Tip: 7 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 at home Friday, when it welcomes Stonehill to Alumni Gym. 
- After opening the year with a 113-67 win over Immaculata, Rider has fallen in its last seven contests. Stonehill has dropped its last eight since a Nov. 9 win over Army West Point, most recently falling at Stony Brook Wednesday night.
- Mervin James has scored in double figures in all eight games, including double-doubles at Duquesne and Siena and a career-high 28 points at Maryland. He leads the MAAC at 19.0 points per game and is third at 7.5 rebounds per game.
- Allen Powell stands three points shy of 1,000 for his career entering Friday.
- Stonehill is led by freshman Jackson Benigni at 12.7 points and 1.8 steals per game, including 40.5 percent shooting (17-42) from long range. Tony Felder (12.4 ppg.) and Max Zegarowski (12.1 ppg.) have also made strong scorin contributions, while Shane O'Dell (9.0 ppg.) and Pano Pavlidis (6.6 ppg., team-high 4.5 rpg.) have also been effective contributors.
- The Broncs and Skyhawks are meeting for the second-straight year and the second time overall. Stonehill joined the Division I ranks last season and the Broncs visited Easton, MA, last Dec. 7 for a 78-67 victory. James led Rider with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
- Corey McKeithan scored a career-high 18 points in the setback at Nebraska.
- T.J. Weeks Jr. posted a double-double of 14 points, 12 rebounds at Marquette.
- 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 178-173 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.