LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Davis Bynum (O'Fallon, IL/East St. Louis [Cal St. Fullerton]) scored a game-high 19 points, Shemani Fuller (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Hayes [Clark Atlanta]) added a double-double with season highs of 18 points and 14 rebounds and Flash Burton (Philadelphia, PA/Cardinal O'Hara) also scored 18 points, but the Rider University men's basketball team fell to Manhattan, 74-71, Monday night at Alumni Gym. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 1-11 (0-3 MAAC), while the Jaspers are now 6-8 (2-1 MAAC).

Rider scored first on a Bynum three-pointer and led for much of the first half. An 11-5 spurt from Manhattan gave the Jaspers their first lead, 22-20, on a Jaden Winston three-pointer with just over nine minutes left in the half. Still a three-point Manhattan advantage, 31-28, following a Marko Ljubicic three-pointer at the 3:53 mark, the Broncs scored the next nine points to build a 37-31 lead. Fuller scored four points in the run, while Burton punctuated it with a three-pointer with less than a minute remaining in the period. Manhattan got a Devin Dinkins runner in the final second of the half, cutting Rider's lead to 37-33 at the break.

Bynum led the Broncs with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the half, while Burton added nine. The Broncs took a 12-4 advantage on second-chance points in the half.

The Rider lead grew to as many as eight on a pair of occasions early in the period and remained seven following Fuller's lay-up off a Jamir McNeil (Cape May Courthouse, NJ/Middle Township) lob over the top at the 11:32 mark. But Manhattan answered with a 10-2 run to take its first lead since the three-minute mark of the first, 57-56, on Terrance Jones' jumper at the 8:11 mark. The Broncs immediately retook the lead on a Zion Cruz (Trenton, NJ/Donda [DePaul/Pratt CC]) three-pointer on the next possession and held a three-point lead, 69-66, on a pair of Bynum free throws with 1:52 left. But Dinkins scored on a pull up with 1:41, the Jaspers forced a turnover and Anthony Isaac gave the Jaspers the lead, 70-69, on a tip-in with 52 seconds remaining.

Offensive rebounding gave the Broncs three chances on their next possession, but Rider misfired on all three opportunities. Still a one-possession game in the final seconds, Burton and Cole McCabe (Miami Beach, FL/Miami Country Day/IMG Academy) both got looks at a game-tying three, but could not convert.

Quotes & Notes
"We've got to execute still. Have to learn how to play with guys when they get in foul trouble or when they foul out. Have to be a little more patient."

"Getting getter. Everybody. Mani played well. Davis played well. We've just got to keep grinding, man. Nobody wants to be in this position, but we've just got to keep grinding. And that's what we'll do." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

(On whether Rider can dig itself out of this hole) "Yes. We're definitely not a 1-11 team. For sure. We need to fix it now, buy in even more, be more disciplined, execute even better. But we're not a 1-11 team. We're not." – Rider redshirt senior forward Shemani Fuller   

- Rider leads the all-time series with Manhattan, 39-28. The Broncs had won five straight against Manhattan prior to an 80-79 heartbreaking setback to the Jaspers last Jan. 5 at Alumni Gym on Winston's deep three-pointer with 6.8 seconds remaining.
- Rider led at the half for the second time this season (37-24 vs. Coppin State, Nov. 25).
- The Broncs finished with a season-high 17 assists (15 vs. Eastern University, Nov. 15).

Broncs by the Numbers
- Fuller scored in double figures for the third-straight game, following up a 15-point performance at VCU (Dec. 22) with a season-high 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor. He added a season-high 14 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass. He also blocked two shots.
- Bynum scored a career-high 19 points, eclipsing 12 points on a pair of occasions last season for Cal State Fullerton and his season-high nine points last time out at VCU (Dec. 22). Bynum made 7-of-15 from the floor, including 1-for-1 from long range and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line. His seven rebounds and two steals were also season highs.
- Burton scored 18 points on 6-of-20 shooting, including 4-of-13 from long range and 2-of-3 from the free-throw line. He added four assists and a steal.
- Cruz contributed eight points, four assists and two steals before fouling out in 35 minutes.
- Caleb Smith (Atlanta, GA/Fredrick Douglass [Garden City CC]) also fouled out with 4:27 remaining after chipping in with eight rebounds, a career-high six assists, two steals and a block.
- The Broncs had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio for the second-straight game, dishing out 17 assists to 12 turnovers.
- For the game, the Broncs outshot the Jaspers, 41.2 percent (28-68) to 39.7 percent (23-58) from the floor.
- Manhattan took advantages of 35.0 percent (7-20) to 30.4 percent (7-23) from long range and 77.8 percent (21-27) to 61.5 percent (8-13) from the free-throw line.
- The Broncs took a 43-40 edge on the glass, including a 20-16 margin on offensive rebounds, leading to a 20-14 discrepancy in second-chance scoring.
- Rider owned a 34-26 edge in points in the paint and a 12-7 advantage in fast-break scoring.
- Manhattan's bench outscored Rider's, 29-7.
- Rider led for 29:55 of game time to the Jaspers' 3:51 with a lead.

Up Next
The Broncs return to MAAC play Sunday, Jan. 4, when they play host to Siena. Opening tip from Alumni Gym is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.