Who: Rider (10-7, 4-2) at Quinnipiac (8-7, 2-4).

When: Thursday, 8 p.m., TD Bank Sports Center, Hamden, Connecticut.

TV/Radio: ESPN3/ 107.7 FM The Bronc.

Last Time Out: Rider lost to Monmouth, 55-54; Quinnipiac def. Marist, 66-54.

Background: Coming off a loss in which the Broncs allowed Monmouth to steal the game, they now face a difficult three-game stretch beginning with Thursday night’s visit to Quinnipiac. The Bobcats have won two straight following an 0-4 start in the league.

Battle of the Boards: Quinnipiac leads the nation in rebounding, hauling down 45 boards per game. The Bobcats also rank third in offensive caroms with 16.2 per contest. Of course, to get that many offensive rebounds, you have to miss a fair amount of shots. Q-Pac shoots a MAAC-worst 30.8 percent from 3.

Clash of the Titans: The two best centers in league will square off when Rider’s Matt Lopez matches up with Quinnipiac’s Ousmane Drame. Lopez, a 7-foot senior, averages 11.6 points and 6.6 boards per contest, while Drame, a 6-9 senior, is a double-double machine, averaging 13.5 point and 10.3 boards.

Free Points: The Bobcats lead the MAAC in free throw percentage at 77.2 percent, while the Broncs are last at 61 percent.

Thirst for Hearst: Quinnipiac’s Zaid Hearst ranks fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 19.5 points and has emerged as a Player of the Year candidate.

Up Next: Rider travels to Manhattan on Sunday for a 2 p.m. tip.