Broncs face largest losses in MAAC play all season 

By Samantha Clark and Liliana R. Basile

The Rider Broncs fell to 2-12 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play after facing two tough losses against the Marist University Red Foxes, 81-52, and the Merrimack College Warriors, 73-47, putting up their biggest losses yet in conference play.

Foxes on the prowl

In Poughkeepsie, New York, on Feb. 5, both Rider and Marist had a slow start, until sophomore forward Davis Bynum tipped the ball in  for two.  

A goaltending call from Marist followed, allowing Rider to pick up two free points. Driving through defenders, Bynum then tipped in his own missed shot to pick up two more to give the Broncs an early lead.

Rider went scoreless for the next five minutes, allowing Marist to go on an 11-0 run, until sophomore guard Flash Burton cashed in a midrange jumpshot. 

Sophomore forward Cole McCabe fought for the offensive rebound and hit a layup, followed by another jumpshot from Burton just 25 seconds later. 

“We’ve focused on throwing the ball inside and scoring in the paint, because that’s what we’re good at,” McCabe said. 

Burton snapped another scoreless streak with a driving layup, and senior guard Zion Cruz followed with a spinning jumpshot. Cruz then crashed in the post for a layup, drawing the foul for the 3-point play to end the half down 23-48.

The second half of play opened with an almost immediate midrange jumpshot from Cruz, and Burton followed with the same, leading the Broncs to add quick points early in the half. 

Bynum picked up two more for Rider, the ball rattling in to set the Broncs off on a 7-2 run.

With time ticking down on the shot clock, Burton splashed a 3-pointer from deep beyond the arc and followed with a drive through the post for a layup, closing the gap to less than 20 points. 

The Broncs outscored the Red Foxes 11-4 to open the second half, until Rider allowed Marist on another 11-0 run, widening the gap to 29 points. 

Burton drove through defenders to finally get one up, picking up two for Rider to set them back 36-63. Junior guard Caleb Smith then picked up the offensive rebound and splashed one up and in, and Burton followed almost immediately with a 3-pointer. 

Within a minute and a half, senior forward David Helterhoff splashed three baskets in a row. 

Senior forward Mohamad Diallo followed with a driving jumpshot in the paint, picking up his first points since the previous matchup against Marist on Jan. 11 and the final points of the night for the Broncs, ending their matchup on the road, falling 81-52.

‘Our guys won’t quit’

To open the battle against the Warriors on Feb. 7, McCabe sent up the first points for the Broncs with a 3-pointer right in front of Merrimack’s bench, followed by a layup right under the net from senior forward Shemani Fuller.

Fighting against heavy defense in the post, Smith grabbed the defensive rebound, laying it up and in for two more. Smith then found Burton for a deep two, holding Merrimack scoreless for two straight minutes.

With a free throw from Smith, Merrimack held Rider to 8-1, but both teams continued on a scoring drought for the next minute and a half. 

Fuller hit the first field goal for the Broncs with a jumpshot, followed by a two-handed dunk 30 seconds later and another jumpshot a minute after that.

Splashing one up and over his two defenders, freshman guard AB Coulibaly’s jumpshot bounced in for two, putting the Broncs down by just 10 points.

Another two-minute scoreless spell was broken by Smith’s free throw, but the Broncs could not manage to get one up for another three minutes after that, ending the half down 40-20.

After two and a half minutes ofplay in the second, Smith grabbed the defensive rebound and laid it up and in for the Broncs’ first points of the half.

Burton then splashed a 3-pointer from the corner, drawing the foul to pick up four points for Rider. 

The Broncs continued on an almost five-minute drought, allowing the Warriors a 10-0 run, until a steal from freshman guard Jamir McNeil allowed a deep two from Cruz, his first points of the night.

Cruz grabbed the defensive rebound and found Burton just beyond the arc, splashing another 3-pointer and setting the Broncs on a 6-0 run as the Warriors went scoreless for two and a half minutes.

After a pair of free throws from Burton and another three from Smith, the Broncs rounded out the night down 73-47, the least amount of points scored all season against a MAAC opponent. 

“I think some guys were still in their feels about the last game at Marist, which we lost,” Head Coach Kevin Baggett said, “But our guys won’t quit, I’m not worried about that.”

The Broncs will continue their homestand on Feb. 13 when they host the Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers at 7 p.m and return on the road when they face the Sacred Heart University Pioneers on Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.