LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Zion Cruz (Trenton, NJ/Donda [DePaul/Pratt CC]) scored a team-high 15 points in his first start as a Bronc, but the Rider University men's basketball team fell to Quinnipiac, 72-67, Friday night at Alumni Gym. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 4-6 (0-2 MAAC), while the Bobcats improve to 4-5 (1-0 MAAC).

Neither team could create separation in the first half, with both teams' largest leads being four. After Quinnipiac scored the game's first four points and continued to lead, 10-6 at the 15:27 mark, the Broncs scored the next seven to take a 13-10 lead on a Weeks Jr. three with 14:02 left. The lead grew to four on a T.J. Weeks Jr. (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken Catholic [UMass]) drive at the 10:54 mark. Still a four-point Rider lead after Tariq Ingraham's (Philadelphia, PA/Bonner-Prendergast [Wake Forest]) jumper with 7:35 left, the lead would change hands three times over the final 5:01 of the half, with Quinnipiac taking a 31-29 lead into halftime. Jay Alvarez (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro Area [Houston Christian]) led the Broncs with eight first-half points.

The Broncs briefly retook the lead on Weeks Jr.'s three-pointer at the 19:01 mark of the second half, before Quinnipiac took it back on its next possession and maintained a lead that grew to as many as seven on three occasions. Following the third with less than three minutes remaining, Alvarez connected on a three-pointer following an Ife West-Ingram (Philadelphia, PA/Abington Friends) offensive rebound. Following the inbounds, Flash Burton (Philadelphia, PA/Cardinal O'Hara) intercepted a cross-court pass underneath the basket and laid it in to cut the deficit to two. After the Broncs got a stop on the other end, the freshman was fouled and made both free throws to tie the game at 65-65 with 1:47 remaining.

But Quinnipiac would score the next seven points to put the game out of reach.  

Quotes & Notes
"Tough one. Too many breakdowns. Didn't come up with the rebounds when they took shots at inopportune times. So we take a bad loss."

(On the difference in first two conference games) "50/50 balls and being able to keep the ball in front. And then overhelping and leaving guys open. And just bad turnovers at times."

(On how to improve) "Practice. Practice. That's all I know. Get to practice. Everybody show up. That's it. It's a long year. So, we've just got to get better. We're not far off." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Quinnipiac cut the Broncs' lead in the all-time series to 14-12. The win was just the Bobcats' third in Lawrenceville, with Rider owning an 8-3 lead at Alumni Gym.
- Five Broncs scored in double figures for the first time this season and the first time since this past Feb. 18 at Manhattan, when Rider shot a program-record 76.4 percent.
- Cruz and Burton made their first starts for the Broncs.  

Broncs by the Numbers
- Cruz scored a career-high 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the floor and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.
- Ingraham posted his third-straight double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. He made 5-of-11 from the floor and 1-of-3 from the free-throw line.
- Alvarez also finished with 11 points, four rebounds and two steals.
- Burton scored 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting from the floor and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. He also added a team-high three assists and a season-high four steals.
- Weeks Jr. scored 10 points on 3-of-4 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from long range, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed three rebounds and blocked a shot.
- West-Ingram added eight points on 3-of-6 shooting from the floor and 2-of-4 from the free-throw line.
- Quinnipiac outshot Rider, 47.4 percent (27-57) to 44.6 percent (25-56) from the floor, including a 26.1 percent (6-23) to 21.4 percent (3-14) edge from beyond the arc.
- Rider took a 70.0 percent (14-20) to 66.7 percent (12-18) edge from the free-throw line.
- Quinnipiac outrebounded the Broncs, 37-29, including a 15-12 edge in offensive rebounds.
- The Bobcats took a 34-24 edge in the paint.
- Rider took an 8-4 advantage in fast-break points.
- Quinnipiac led for 24:04 of game time to Rider's 8:28 with a lead.

Up Next
The Broncs return to action next Saturday, when they play host to Stony Brook. Tipoff from Alumni Gym is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.