Who: Niagara (4-9, 1-1) at Rider (6-5, 2-0)

When: Thursday, 7 p.m., Alumni Gymnasium

TV: None
 
Radio: 107.7 FM The Bronc

Last Time Out: Rider def. Penn, 89-88; Niagara def. Brown, 68-65

Series History: Niagara leads 20-17

Background: The final 18 games of the season will all be MAAC games so the conference grind starts Thursday for Rider with a visit from Niagara.

The Purple Eagles have won three of their last four following a 1-8 start.


Niagara went through a huge transition during a tumultuous offseason in which coach Joe Mihalich left for Hofstra and took two — Juan’ya Green and Ameen Tanksley — of the team’s three best players  with him.

Staying behind for new head coach Chris Casey was junior guard Antoine Mason, who leads the nation in scoring at 29.1 points per game.

Despite a slow start, Rider coach Kevin Baggett knows his team can’t just go through the motions and expect to beat the Purple Eagles.

“Night in and night out, anybody in this league can win it,” Baggett said. “I think every team in this league is good from top to bottom. We’re not going to be able to take off a night and just cause Niagara doesn’t have Juan’ya Green and Tanksley ... they’re really good and they play hard. I like what Chris is doing with their team.”

The key against Mason, who is coming off a career-high 39 points on 12 of 29 shooting, is to keep him off the free-throw line. He leads the nation in attempts (250) and makes (130).

The Broncs swept the season series last season, although Mason didn’t play in the game at Alumni Gym because of an injured ankle.

Projected Starting Lineups: Rider: G-Jimmie Taylor (Fr., 12 ppg), G-Zedric Sadler (So., 10.6 ppg), G-Anthony Myles (Sr., 18.7 ppg), F-Danny Stewart (16.6 ppg), C-Junior Fortunat (4.8 ppg).
Niagara: G-Tahjere McCall (So., 6.2 ppg), G-Antoine Mason (Jr., 29.1 ppg), G-Marvin Jordan (Sr., 10.2 ppg), F-Ramone Snowden (Fr., 8.4 ppg), F-Joe Thomas (Jr., 2.4  ppg).