HAMDEN, CT – Dwight Murray, Jr. (Austell, GA/Pebblebrook [Incarnate Word]) posted his first double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead four Broncs in double figures, but the Rider University men's basketball team fell in double overtime at Quinnipiac, 90-88, Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Arena. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 14-11 (11-5 MAAC), while the Bobcats improve to 19-9 (10-7 MAAC).

Quinnipiac built an early 10-4 lead with a pair of three-pointers and later rebuilt the advantage to seven, 26-19, on a Jamil Riggins lay-up at the 8:19 mark. Rider responded with a 9-0 run over the next six minutes to take its first lead since 2-0. Tyrel Bladen (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) tied the game with a hustle offensive rebound and reverse putback at the 3:52 mark and the Broncs took the lead on a Dwight Murray, Jr. (Austell, GA/Pebblebrook [Incarnate Word]) runner at the 2:42 mark. Quinnipiac briefly retook a one-point lead and with the contest tied at 30-30, Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson (Delta State, Nigeria/Bonner-Prendergast) flushed a putback with seven seconds left to give Rider a 32-30 lead at the half.

Murray led Rider with seven points and five rebounds at the half, while Tariq Ingraham (Philadelphia, PA/Bonner-Prendergast) added six points. Rider took an 18-8 advantage in points in the paint while outrebounding Quinnipiac, 21-13, in the opening 20 minutes.

The Broncs scored 13 of the first 16 points in the second half, including the first five from Allen Betrand (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic [Towson/Rhode Island]) and the next six from Murray, to build a double-digit lead, 45-33, at the 16:14 mark. The lead swelled to 16 with 12:11 left on a Nehemiah Benson (Streetsboro, OH/Lutheran East) bucket, but Rider's foul total was also on the rise. On Quinnipiac's next possession, Jamil Riggins scored inside and the Broncs were whistled for their seventh foul on the play. Following a Matt Balanc three at the 10:31 mark, the Broncs held Quinnipiac without a field goal for a span of more than seven minutes of game time. But during that time, the Broncs were called for their eighth through 17^th fouls of the half, sending the Bobcats to the line 14 times and Quinnipiac converted 11 of them to draw to within five.

Quinnipiac would continue its momentum. Combined with the final two free throws in the span, the Bobcats went on a 12-2 run, taking its first lead of the half on an Alexis Reyes four-point play at the 1:45 mark and pushing to a three-point lead on a Dezi Jones drive with just over a minute remaining. Powell responded a jumper with 49 seconds left, before Tyrese Williams made 1-of-2 free throws to make it a two-point Bobcats lead with 18 seconds remaining. On the other end, Rider got three attempts to win or tie the game, with Powell misfiring on a jumper, Murray sending a three-pointer long and Powell putting it back up and in with less than two seconds left to send the game to overtime.

Rider opened the overtime scoring with a pair of Benson buckets to build a four-point cushion. Jones hit a three and followed with a conventional three-point play to put Quinnipiac on top by two. Murray hit a jumper with just over a minute left in the period to tie the game at 77-77, before the Bobcats' procession to the charity stripe continued with Jones knocking down two with 37 seconds left. On the other end, Powell found a streaking Betrand to the bucket for a lay-up to tie the game at 79-79. The Broncs forced a Jones turnover, but Powell's heave to end the period wouldn't fall.

After Quinnipiac scored first in the second overtime, Benson and Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]) scored consecutively to put Rider on top, 83-81, before Jones tied it on a drive. Betrand was fouled and made 1-of-2 to give Rider an 84-83 lead. Williams answered with a three for Quinnipiac, which grew its lead to three on a Paul Otieno dunk with 1:16 remaining. Betrand would tie the game with 49.8 seconds left on a three from the top of the key. On the ensuing Quinnipiac inbounds, 9.9 seconds ticked off the clock in the Bobcats' back court before Quinnipiac was granted a timeout, avoiding 10-second violation. With the clock reset, Jones wildly drove the lane and, spinning with his back to the basket, flipped the ball over his head was awarded a foul and two free throws. The Bobcats twice made 1-of-2 on the 22^nd and 23^rd fouls called on Rider after halftime, while Rider misfired twice and Quinnipiac came away with the 90-88 double-overtime victory.

Notes
- Rider leads the all-time series with Quinnipiac, 13-10. However, after dominating the series' first 14 games, 12-2, the Bobcats have won eight of the last nine, including the last six. The Broncs have lost their last six in Hamden and are 3-8 all-time at Quinnipiac, including two that went to overtime.
- The Broncs are now 7-6 in true road games this season.
- Rider led at the half for the fifth-straight game.
- The Broncs are now 1-1 in overtime games this season. Both game in MAAC games in Connecticut, with Powell tying both in the final two seconds of regulation (Jan. 29 at Fairfield).

Broncs by the Numbers
- Murray scored 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 1-of-5 from long range and 2-for-4 from the free-throw line. 10 of his season-high 12 rebounds came on the offensive glass.
- Powell added 13 points and a team-high four assists and two steals.
- Powell and Murray each played a career-high 48 minutes. No other Bronc played more than 30 minutes.
- Betrand scored all 12 of his points after halftime. He made 4-of-7 attempts, including 2-of-4 from long range.    
- Benson rounded out the Broncs' double-figure scorers with a season-high 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting. Six of his 10 points came in the overtime periods.
- James, Ingraham and Corey McKeithan (Windsor, CT/Windsor) each added eight points.
- After each team was whistled for six fouls in the opening 20 minutes, the Broncs were called for 23 fouls in the final 30 minutes to Quinnipiac's 10 fouls against in that time. The Bobcats were in the bonus for nearly the final 12 minutes of regulation and both overtimes, including the double bonus for the final 19:42 played. Rider did not enjoy the double bonus until there was just 1:37 remaining in the second overtime.
- After Quinnipiac was called for its seventh foul with 5:34 left in regulation, putting Rider in the bonus, the Bobcats were called for three fouls over the final 15:34 of regulation and overtime. In the same span, Rider was whistled 11 times.
- Two Broncs fouled out and two more finished with four fouls. Meanwhile, Quinnipiac had two bench players collect four fouls. Just one other player of eight more to enter the game for the Bobcats had as many as two fouls. The remaining seven were called for one or no fouls.
- Rider outshot Quinnipiac, 43.8 percent (35-80) to 43.1 percent (25-58) from the floor.
- The Bobcats took a 50.0 percent (11-22) to 31.8 percent (7-22) edge from long range.
- Quinnipiac's 41 attempts at the free-throw line (29-41, 70.7 percent) dwarfed the 17 attempts  (11-17, 64.7 percent) Rider was granted.
- Rider outrebounded Quinnipiac, 45-33, including a 14-4 edge on the offensive glass.
- The Broncs outscored the Bobcats, 42-24, in the paint.
- Rider led for 23:10 of game time to Quinnipiac's 20:40.   
 
Up Next
The Broncs return to action Friday, when they play host to Siena in a game Nationally-televised on ESPNU. Tip from Alumni Gym is scheduled for 7 p.m.