LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]) scored a game-high 30 points as the Rider University men's basketball team knocked Quinnipiac out of first place in the MAAC with an 88-78 victory Sunday afternoon at Alumni Gym. With the win, the Broncs' fourth-straight, Rider moves to 12-16 (9-8 MAAC). Meanwhile, the loss is Quinnipiac's fourth-straight, dropping the Bobcats (19-8, 11-5 MAAC) a game behind Fairfield (12-5 MAAC) in the win column in the MAAC standings.

Quinnipiac built an early double-digit lead, pushing to an 11-point advantage on a pair of Rihards Vavers free throws at the 12:57 mark. Still an 11-point cushion after a Vavers three at the 11:33 mark, the Broncs began to chip away with the next six points, the last four from James. A James jumper at the 5:12 mark cut the Broncs' deficit to two and after the Bobcats pushed back to a seven-point lead, Rider went on a 10-0 run, capped by James' fast-break jumper with 43 seconds left in the period to put Rider on top, 38-35. The Broncs settled for a 38-37 advantage at the break, led by James' 13 points and 11 more from Tariq Ingraham (Philadelphia, PA/Bonner-Prendergast [Wake Forest]).

Quinnipiac would outscore Rider, 18-11, in the first 5:35 of the second half to rebuild a six-point lead, capping the stretch on an Alexis Reyes three pointer. But again, Rider had the answer, reeling off an 17-2 run to pull ahead, 68-59 with 9:09 remaining. JT Langston Jr. (Fort Wayne, IN/San Gabriel Academy [East Los Angeles College]) scored seven of his nine points for the game in the run, including a bucket in the paint to cap it.

The Bobcats made a final push, cutting the Broncs' lead to one on a pair of Reyes free throws with 5:44 left. But Rider responded with an Allen Powell (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College HS) three-pointer and the Broncs enjoyed a two-possession lead for more than the final three minutes of the game.

Quotes & Notes
"I just credit our guys. All the hard work they're putting in and dedication, the guys locking in, guys understanding their roles, doing what it is we need to win. Guys coming off the bench – JT Langston, give him credit today. Gave us a big lift. These two guys here (James and Ingraham) have been carrying us for a while now man. We go as they go." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- After Rider won 12 of the first 14 meetings in the series, including seven straight from January 2016 to January 2019, the Bobcats had won nine of the last 10, including the last seven. However just two of the seven had come in Lawrenceville. The Broncs now lead the Bobcats, 14-11, in the series.
- Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett's teams are 12-11 vs. Quinnipiac, including an 8-2 mark at home.
- Rider is now 10-2 this season when leading at the half.
- After winning just once in the first 15 league games when allowing more than 62 points, Rider has won consecutive games that the opposition has scored at least 75.
- Rider moved to 8-4 at Alumni Gym this season, including a 6-3 mark in league play.
- Rider shot over 50 percent for the third-straight game, hitting at a 53.6 percent (30-56) clip.   
- After holding the MAAC's scoring lead for the majority of the season's first four months, James (18.6 ppg. entering Sunday) saw Quinnipiac's Matt Balanc (18.7 ppg. entering Sunday) edge pass him on Friday. But James outscored Balanc, 30-11, Sunday to regain the position on top, 19.0 ppg. to 18.4 ppg.

Broncs by the Numbers
- James scored a game-high 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including 1-of-2 from long range, and 9-of-9 from the free-throw line. He also added four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.
- The scoring output was one off of James' season high of 31, established on Jan. 5 at Quinnipiac. James becomes the first Bronc with two 30-point performances in a single season since Teddy Okereafor did it twice in a four-game span in January 2016.
- Ingraham scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and 3-of-5 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed five rebounds and blocked a shot.
- Powell added 13 points on 5-of-10 from the floor, including 2-of-5 from long range, and made his only free-throw attempt. He added a team-high five assists.
- T.J. Weeks Jr. (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken Catholic [UMass]) also finished in double figures with 10 points, making 2-of-6 attempts from the floor, including 1-of-4 from long range, while hitting 5-of-6 free-throw attempts. He grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, dished out three assists, made two steals and blocked a shot.
- Langston made all four of his field-goal attempts and his only free-throw attempt for nine points in seven minutes off the bench.
- Corey McKeithan (Windsor, CT/Windsor) added five points and three assists.
- The Broncs outshot Quinnipiac, 53.6 percent (30-56) to 39.3 percent (24-61) from the floor.
- Quinnipiac took a 34.8 percent (8-23) to 33.3 percent (5-15) edge from beyond the arc.
- Rider took an 88.5 percent (23-26) to 81.5 percent (22-27) advantage from the free-throw line.
- The Bobcats took a 36-33 advantage on the glass, including a 13-6 edge in offensive rebounds.
- The Broncs outscored Quinnipiac, 36-28, in the paint.
- Quinnipiac owned a lead for 20:39 of game time to the Broncs' 16:34 with the lead.
   
Up Next
The Broncs return to action Friday, when they begin the MAAC's Western New York road trip at Niagara. Tip-off from the "Taps" Gallagher Center in Niagara University, NY, is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.