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Rider 70, Niagara 62
LAWRENCEVILLE – Once again, Rider was down by double digits, its back against the wall in a game it needed to win.
The Broncs, coming off a damaging home loss to Loyola, trailed by 14 at the half against Niagara, like Rider a talented but erratic team.
Yet for the second time in two games against the Eagles this season, Rider responded. Ryan Thompson, playing his third dominant game in the past two weeks, carried Rider to a 70-62 win that pointed the Broncs’ season back in the right direction.
“A gutsy performance by our guys in the second half,” coach Tommy Dempsey said. “… It would have been very easy at halftime to pack it in and get beat again at home, but we were really resilient.”
Thompson scored 31 points – tying the career high he set just two games earlier in a win at Fairfield. His emphatic dunk capped an 18-1 Rider run that turned an 11-point deficit into a six-point lead, and his clutch shooting helped hold off the Purple Eagles.
Truman High’s Tyrone Lewis scored 17 points and Demetrius Williamson added 13 for Niagara. Justin Robinson (14) and Novar Gadson (12) joined Thompson in double figures for the Broncs.
Rider (14-12 overall, 7-7 MAAC) is alone in fifth place in the MAAC – an important factor since the top six teams receive first-round byes in next month’s conference tournament.
The Broncs completed a season sweep of the Eagles (13-13, 6-8) who have virtually no margin for error down the stretch. Niagara is tied with cross-town rival Canisius for sixth in the league, meaning the play-in round is a distinct possibility.
With its next three games against teams with winnings records in the league, Rider is by no means out of the woods. Yet the Broncs have won three of their last four after a 3-6 MAAC start, and are still capable of playing their best basketball down the stretch.
Trailing by 14 at the half, the Broncs rallied. Robinson’s floater capped a tied the game at 51 with 8:19 left -- the first tie since 5-5. Jhamar Youngblood’s jumper on Rider’s next possession gave the Broncs a 53-51 lead with 7:20 left, and Thompson’s dunk with 5:51 left capped a 15-0 run and gave Rider a 55-51 lead.
The Broncs, coming off a damaging home loss to Loyola, trailed by 14 at the half against Niagara, like Rider a talented but erratic team.
Yet for the second time in two games against the Eagles this season, Rider responded. Ryan Thompson, playing his third dominant game in the past two weeks, carried Rider to a 70-62 win that pointed the Broncs’ season back in the right direction.
“A gutsy performance by our guys in the second half,” coach Tommy Dempsey said. “… It would have been very easy at halftime to pack it in and get beat again at home, but we were really resilient.”
Thompson scored 31 points – tying the career high he set just two games earlier in a win at Fairfield. His emphatic dunk capped an 18-1 Rider run that turned an 11-point deficit into a six-point lead, and his clutch shooting helped hold off the Purple Eagles.
Truman High’s Tyrone Lewis scored 17 points and Demetrius Williamson added 13 for Niagara. Justin Robinson (14) and Novar Gadson (12) joined Thompson in double figures for the Broncs.
Rider (14-12 overall, 7-7 MAAC) is alone in fifth place in the MAAC – an important factor since the top six teams receive first-round byes in next month’s conference tournament.
The Broncs completed a season sweep of the Eagles (13-13, 6-8) who have virtually no margin for error down the stretch. Niagara is tied with cross-town rival Canisius for sixth in the league, meaning the play-in round is a distinct possibility.
With its next three games against teams with winnings records in the league, Rider is by no means out of the woods. Yet the Broncs have won three of their last four after a 3-6 MAAC start, and are still capable of playing their best basketball down the stretch.
Trailing by 14 at the half, the Broncs rallied. Robinson’s floater capped a tied the game at 51 with 8:19 left -- the first tie since 5-5. Jhamar Youngblood’s jumper on Rider’s next possession gave the Broncs a 53-51 lead with 7:20 left, and Thompson’s dunk with 5:51 left capped a 15-0 run and gave Rider a 55-51 lead.
posted by Kyle Franko at
9:24 PM
1 Comments:
Somebody woke up RT......again.
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