BUFFALO, NY – Zion Cruz (Trenton, NJ/Donda [DePaul/Pratt CC]) scored a career-high 23 points, but the Rider University men's basketball team fell at Canisius, 85-67, Friday night at Koessler Athletic Center. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 4-11 (0-4 MAAC), while the Griffs improve to 1-14 (1-3 MAAC).

Rider led by as many as four points in the first half on Cruz's floater in the lane at the 8:36. But Canisius finished the half strong, outscoring the Broncs, 19-5, over the final 6:42 of the period to take an 11-point lead, 39-28, into the break. Tariq Ingraham (Philadelphia, PA/Bonner-Prendergast [Wake Forest]) led the Broncs with 10 points on 4-of-5 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Canisius outshot Rider, 50.0 percent (15-30) to 32.1 percent (9-28) in the period.

After Ingraham opened the second-half scoring with a second-chance bucket in the paint, the Griffs buried three-straight three's to extend their lead to 18. Rider used a 13-5 spurt, including seven points from Jay Alvarez (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro Area [Houston Christian]) to pull to within 10, 69-59, with 6:52 remaining. But the Broncs could draw no closer.

Quotes & Notes
"We just struggle to guard. We struggle to defend the three-point line and it's killing us. It's been killing us all year long."

"Every man's got to look in the mirror and really dig deep because this is about as low as my program has been." – Rider Men's Basketball Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Rider leads the all-time series with Canisius, 42-18, including a 17-11 record in Buffalo.
- The Broncs swept the Griffs in last year's season series, taking the Jan. 7 meeting in overtime and winning on Mar. 3 in Buffalo by four. 10 of the prior 13 meetings between the Broncs and Griffs had been decided by four points or less.
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- Cruz scored a career-high 23 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the floor, including 1-of-5 from long range. He also made both of his free-throw attempts, grabbed four rebounds and added two assists and two blocks.
- Ingraham added 18 points on 7-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. He added five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
- Alvarez also finished in double figures with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting, adding five rebounds and two assists.
- Ruben Rodriguez (Reading, PA/Reading) and T.J. Weeks Jr. (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken Catholic [UMass]) added six points apiece.
- Canisius outshot the Broncs, 62.3 percent (33-53) to 44.1 percent (26-59) from the floor, including a 59.1 percent (13-22) to 25.0 percent (5-20) margin from beyond the three-point arc.
- Canisius also took an 85.7 percent (6-7) to 71.4 percent (10-14) edge from the free-throw line.
- Canisius edged the Broncs, 28-27, on the glass. Rider took a 12-5 edge on the offensive glass.
- Rider took a 34-32 edge in points in the paint and a 16-6 advantage on second-chance points.
 
Up Next
The Broncs wrap up the weekend in Western New York Sunday, when they face Niagara for a noon tip-off from the Gallagher Center on ESPN+.