Comeback Bid Against Saint Peter's Falls Short For Men's Basketball - Rider University Athletics (2024)

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Men's Basketball 3/15/2024 1:07:00 AM

James scores team-high 17 points

Box Score ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Mervin James (St. Thomas, USVI/Pebblebrook [North Alabama]) scored a team-high 17 points, but the fifth-seeded Rider University men's basketball team's second-half comeback bid fell just short to fifth-seeded Saint Peter's, 50-48, in the MAAC Quarterfinals Thursday night at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. The loss snaps the Broncs' seven-game winning streak and ends their season at 15-17. Saint Peter's (17-13) advances to tomorrow's semifinals.

The Peaco*cks scored the game's first four points and never trailed. Rider tied the game at 6-6 and 8-8, before Saint Peter's went on a 13-2 run to open an 11-point lead at the 5:24 mark. Rider cut the deficit to seven before the Peaco*cks scored the final bucket of the half for a 27-18 lead at the break. Tariq Ingraham (Philadelphia, PA/Bonner-Prendergast [Wake Forest]) led the Broncs with seven points at the half.

The Saint Peter's lead grew to 14 points, where it remained at the 14-minute mark, before the Broncs began to chip away. Rider scored the next five points as part of a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to four, 38-34, on T.J. Weeks Jr.'s (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken Catholic [UMass]) three-pointer at the 7:23 mark. After Saint Peter's got a pair of free throws to push back to a six-point advantage, Corey McKeithan (Windsor, CT/Windsor) scored on a drive at the 5:30 mark and, after making a steal on the other end, was fouled in transition. Initially, an intentional foul was called, and replay showed that Corey Washington pulled McKeithan's jersey on the fast-break attempt. However, upon consultation with the alternate official and video review, the officiating crew reduced it to a common foul. McKeithan made two free-throw attempts to cut the Broncs' deficit to 40-38.

On the ensuing Saint Peter's possession, Marcus Randolph knocked down a three to give Saint Peter's some breathing room at 43-38, before Rider pulled back to within one on three occasions – on two Weeks Jr. free throws with 3:50 remaining, a James floater at the 2:18 mark and two James free throws with 1:29 left. The Broncs had two looks at a go-ahead bucket in the final minute, but attempts from Allen Powell (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle College HS) and McKeithan were blocked, the latter with six seconds remaining, and deflecting off the Broncs' senior point guard for Saint Peter's possession.

After Latrell Reid made 1-of-2 free throws, Weeks Jr. got off a left-wing three for the win, but it would not fall.

Quotes & Notes
"Very frustrating. We played out of character tonight. A lot of things uncharacteristically that just weren't going. It was tough to see that. Our guys battled. Give them credit. Give all the credit to Saint Peter's. That wasn't us." – Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett

- Rider leads the all-time series with Saint Peter's, 44-36. Rider has swept the last two regular-season series, but lost to Saint Peter's in each of the last two years' quarterfinals.
- Saint Peter's leads the series with the Broncs in MAAC Championship games, 7-3, including a 6-2 advantage in the quarters.
- Rider is 17-26 all-time in the MAAC Tournament. The Broncs played as the No. 4 seed for just the second time, falling to 0-2 (vs. No. 5 Siena in Albany in 2018-19). In addition to four appearances as the No. 5 seed, the Broncs are 1-5 in the 4/5 game.

Broncs by the Numbers
- James scored 17 points, including 7-of-7 shooting from the free-throw line, and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. He also blocked a shot and had an assist.
- Ingraham added 11 points and six rebounds, shooting 5-of-11 from the floor and 1-for-2 from the free-throw line.
- Weeks Jr. added 10 points and five rebounds.
- McKeithan chipped in with six points and three assists.
- Rider outshot Saint Peter's, 29.3 percent (17-58) to 28.8 percent (15-52), holding the Peaco*cks to 30.3 percent or less for the third time this season.
- Saint Peter's took a 47-34 edge on the glass, including a 15-9 edge in offensive rebounds, resulting in a 12-6 advantage on second-chance points.
- Rider took advantages of 28-20 in the paint and 13-6 off turnovers.
- Saint Peter's led for 35:20 of game time. The Broncs never led. The game was tied twice.