Mike Ringgold stood outside the Rider locker room Friday night still unsure of exactly what went wrong.

At halftime, in the same hallway, the Broncs' captain had gathered an energized team that shouted its signature phrase -- hungry and humble -- before taking the court in the second half with a 21-point lead.

Now the senior forward was perplexed, having just been part of a collapse in which Rider was outscored 53-22 in the second half of a 77-67 loss to UMass.

The mood was different. This, though, remained the same: Regardless of the outcome Friday, the Broncs had a quick turnaround before Sunday's game against Lafayette.

This is a long season, one in which Rider needs to build momentum heading into the MAAC season. The Broncs were sky high after upsetting Mississippi State in last year's opener. They were dejected Friday night, but last year offered a lesson: Reacting to performances, good or bad, is as important as the initial performance.

"It's a learning experience," Ringgold said. "We're going to have to get back to the drawing board."

Friday's game was not a game was not seesaw battle. Rather teams going on alternate runs, this was a rout in Rider's favor in the first half followed by an even bigger rout in UMass' favor in the second.

The Broncs had opportunities to halt UMass' momentum, but could never do so.

"I thought we could have done a better job handling the pressure," Ringgold said. "I thought the whole time that we would push the lead back to 15, but it just went the other way."

Yet for all their struggles, the Broncs won't have to ponder what went wrong for long. Sunday presents an opporunity both to move on and to make a statement in Rider's home opener.

"This game really doesn't mean anything," Ringgold said. "We want to try to win them all, but it's good that we get to go back home and play before the home crowd."