LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Zion Cruz (Trenton, NJ/Donda [DePaul/Pratt CC]) scored a game-high 20 points, but the Rider University men's basketball team fell to Siena, 74-65, Sunday afternoon at Alumni Gym. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 1-12 (0-4 MAAC), while the Saints are now 10-5 (3-1 MAAC).

The Broncs led early, scoring eight of the game's first 11 points, with Davis Bynum (O'Fallon, IL/East St. Louis [Cal St. Fullerton]), Flash Burton (Philadelphia, PA/Cardinal O'Hara), Cruz and Antwan Wilson (Salisbury, MD/Wicomico [UMES/Weatherford]) each converting a field goal in the first four minutes. Siena scored the next five points to tie the game at 8-8 and four ties and three lead changes later, the Saints took the lead for good on a Gavin Doty jumper in the paint at the 6:25 mark. The Siena lead grew to 11 with a 6-0 run late in the period, before Cruz capped the first-half scoring with a runner to make it 40-31 at the half. Burton led Rider with 10 first-half points.

The Broncs cut the deficit to four twice early in the half and still just a six-point deficit following Burton's transition lay-up at the 12:54 mark, Siena answered with a 10-0 run to effectively put the game out of reach. A late 10-0 Rider run, including seven from Cruz, cut the deficit to nine, but the Broncs could draw no closer.

Quotes & Notes
"We were doing a good job of stopping the initial (shots) and then we give up second-chance baskets because we don't secure rebounds. So that hurt us today. It's deflating, because you're doing a good of guarding the actions that we talked about, we force them into a tough shot and then, if you secure those rebounds, it's a closer game and you give yourself a chance to win. But we gave up way too many of those."

"We've just got to win one. I've been saying that for a while now. Just got to win one. I think once you win one, everybody exhales. Everybody's trying to do too much and carry too much and that's when you struggle. And then, when we hit adversity throughout the game, that's when you've got to dial in even more. When there's a loose ball to be had, you've got to dive on it. When there's a back door not to be given up, you can't get back doored. Just those things that teams don't allow us to have." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Siena extended its lead in the all-time series to 40-23, snapping a three-game Rider winning streak. Rider had won the last three, including two last season in dramatic fashion, the second in the MAAC Championship Opening Round.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Cruz scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half. He was 9-of-18 from the floor for the game, including 2-of-6 from long range, and added three assists and two steals.
- Burton finished with 17 points on 6-of-15 from the floor, 1-of-6 from long range and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. He added a team-high four assists.
- Wilson chipped in with eight points, three assists and a block.
- Shemani Fuller (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Hayes [Clark Atlanta]) contributed seven points, a game-high 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.
- For the game, the Saints outshot the Broncs, 46.4 percent (26-56) to 43.1 percent (25-58) from the floor, including a 40.0 percent (6-15) to 18.2 percent (4-22) edge from long range.
- Rider took an 84.6 percent (11-13) to 72.7 percent (16-22) advantage from the free-throw line.
- Siena outrebounded Rider, 42-26, including an 18-11 discrepancy on the offensive boards.
- The Broncs had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio for the third-straight game, dishing out 14 assists to seven turnovers.
- Rider outscored Siena, 15-8 off turnovers.
- Siena's advantage on the boards led to an 18-7 edge on second-chance points.
- The Saints also outscored the Broncs, 38-28, in the paint.
- Siena led for 32:03 of game time to the Broncs' 4:41 with a lead.

Up Next
The Broncs return to MAAC play Friday, Jan. 9, when they travel to Fairfield. Opening tip from Leo D. Mahoney Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.