LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Zion Cruz (Trenton, NJ/Donda [DePaul/Pratt CC]) scored a team-high 13 points, but the Rider University men's basketball fell to Marist, 71-49, Sunday afternoon at Alumni Gym. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 1-14 (0-6 MAAC), while the Red Foxes are now 11-5 (5-2 MAAC).

After the Broncs opened the scoring on a Shemani Fuller (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Hayes [Clark Atlanta])
dunk just over a minute in, the Red Foxes went on a 13-1 run to open a double-digit lead. Rider twice cut the deficit to five later in the period before Marist used three-point shooting to rebuild a 30-21 at the break. Cruz led the Broncs with seven first-half points.  

A 7-0 Marist run early in the second pushed the Red Foxes' lead to 15 and the advantage eventually grew to as many as 28 late.

Quotes & Notes
"It was disappointing. Very disappointing. I thought that's the best we defended in the first half all year long. I thought our guys were really dialed in and they really knew what was going on. And then, this team, when we face adversity at times, I don't think we always handle it the right way… We didn't play as a team in the second half, offensively or defensively." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Marist cut Rider's lead in the all-time series to 43-29.
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- Cruz scored 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the floor and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.
- Caleb Smith (Atlanta, GA/Fredrick Douglass [Garden City CC]) contributed nine points on 3-of-5 from both the floor and the free-throw line, to go along with a team-high six rebounds.
- AB Coulibaly (Philadelphia, PA/W.Philadelphia/Avon Old Farms) had five points off the bench, including the Broncs' lone three-point conversion on the day. He also grabbed three rebounds.  
- Fuller added four points, five rebounds, a steal, a block and an assist.
- For the game, the Red Foxes outshot the Broncs, 46.0 percent (29-63) to 38.3 percent (18-47) from the floor, including a 38.1 percent (8-21) to 16.7 percent (1-6) edge from beyond the three-poin arc.
- Marist also took an 83.3 percent (5-6) to 57.1 percent (12-21) edge from the free-throw line.
- Marist outrebounded Rider, 40-30, including an 8-3 edge on the offensive boards.
- Marist took advantages of 17-7 off turnovers and 15-4 on fast breaks.
- The Broncs' bench outscored that of Marist, 28-25.
- The Red Foxes led for 37:04 of game time to the Broncs' 44 seconds with the lead.

Up Next
The Broncs return to MAAC play Wednesday, when they play host to Iona. Opening tip from Alumni Gym is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on SNY and simulcast on ESPN+.