Novar Gadson scored 19 points and the Rider men’s basketball team rallied in the second half to steal a victory from last-place Canisius, 71-66, Thursday night at the Koessler Center.

The Broncs (11-15, 8-6) trailed by 10 with 7:19 to go but came roaring back behind Gadson, who scored seven of his 19 points in the time remaining. His layup with 1:35 to go gave Rider a 64-63 lead -- its first of the game.

Canisius (4-20, 1-13) led 63-56 with just under five minutes remaining until Rider ripped off 13 unanswered points. The Griffs were their worst enemy during the run that turned the game, committing turnovers on five consecutive possessions, and receiving a technical foul for trying to call a timeout when they didn’t have any left.

Franklin Milian hit a 3-pointer to snap Rider’s run with 11 seconds to go, cutting the Griffs’ deficit to three. Jon Thompson calmly knocked down two free throws to secure the Broncs, who remained in fifth place, the victory.

Brandon Penn and Anthony Myles both finished with 12 points and Jeff Jones added 10 for the Broncs.

Harold Washington and Chris Manhertz each had 15 to pace Canisius.

Rider played without freshman forward Junior Fortunat (foot/illness) and freshman guard Eddie Mitchell (illness). Both were suffering from the norovirus outbreak that hit the school’s campus this week.

Despite hitting five first-half 3-pointers, the Broncs shot 30 percent and trailed, 34-39 at halftime. Canisius committed a season-low two turnovers in the opening 20 minutes and also outrebounded Rider, 24-23.

The Broncs return to action Saturday when they try to sweep the Western New York trip against Niagara. The Purple Eagles snapped a five-game losing streak Thursday night with a 58-54 victory over Siena.