Broncs fall to Sacred Heart in triple-digit loss
By Samantha Clark
Returning home for their fifth game in 10 days, Rider men’s basketball trailed Sacred Heart University 105-85 after a close first half, falling to 1-8 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
“Tough stretch,” Head Coach Kevin Baggett said, “10 games in five days finally caught us.”
Smashing the rim, sophomore forward Davis Bynum put up the first points for the Broncs, the ball bouncing in for a deep two.
Fighting through heavy defense, sophomore guard Flash Burton splashed one up over all four of his defenders, doing the same a minute later.
Burton then found Bynum under the net, who drove through the post for the layup, and after senior forward David Helterhoff secured the defensive rebound for the Broncs’ possession, he hit another layup to pick up their first lead of the night.
Junior guard Caleb Smith powered through the post for two, once again assisted by Burton, and Bynum did the same 30 seconds later, with an assist from senior guard Zion Cruz.
Matching the fast paced motion of the Pioneers, Bynum continued his momentum down the stretch, splashing a deep jumpshot for two more.
Helterhoff put up another layup, setting off a stretch of nine combined consecutive field goals from both teams in under three minutes.
To beat the shot clock, Burton knocked down a 3-pointer, the Broncs’ first of the night, and later hit their first free throws to break their two minute scoreless streak.
Burton beats the shot clock once again, this time with a deep two, to put the Broncs down by 10, and Cruz continued this momentum on the next possession, splashing two 3-pointers in one minute to break the double-digit deficit.
Pushing the gap back to single digits, Bynum went up for two, despite heavy defense from Sacred Heart.
Sophomore forward Cole McCabe hit one at the line, scoring the only point for the Broncs in two and a half minutes, until Bynum laid one up and in to end the half down 51-38.
Scoring the first points of the half once again, Bynum secured the offensive rebound and laid it up for the Broncs after almost a full minute of play.
Senior forward Shemani Fuller hit a shot at the line, and Smith later drove through the post for the layup, Rider slowly picking up points.
Burton splashed one up and over his defender and later hit a 3-pointer, followed by two shots at the line from freshman guard AB Coulibaly, setting the Broncs off on a 5-0 run in under a minute.
Forcing a turnover from the Pioneers, Smith stole possession and assisted a 3-pointer from Burton to diminish the deficit to under 15 points.
After a technical foul was called on the Pioneers, Burton made both of his open shots from the line.
Junior guard Antwan Wilson secured the defensive rebound, going coast to coast for the layup, later finding Coulibaly in the corner for a 3-pointer, sending the Alumni Gym into an uproar.
The Broncs went scoreless for the next two minutes, setting the Pioneers off on an 8-0 run, until Burton hit a shot from the line.
After a defensive rebound from Smith, an assist to Fuller opened the door for a one-handed dunk.
Burton then drove through the post, finding an open look under the net, Bynum doing the same a minute later.
The strong defense from Sacred Heart proved no obstacle for Coulibaly, who fought through defenders directly under the net for the hook shot.
Smith assisted McCabe in the post, who drove towards the basket for a dunk over his defender
Coulibaly hit a 3-pointer and another a minute and a half later for a new career high, placing the Broncs within 20 points in the final four minutes.
In his first minutes of the game, freshman guard Kristupas Kepežinskas splashed a 3-pointer, and after a turnover from Sacred Heart, Coulibaly secured the steal and dunk down the stretch.
Helterhoff splashed one up and in and another 30 seconds later, going 5-5 in field goal attempts for the entirety of the matchup, ending the half down 105-85.
“We’ve got growing to do and we will be better next time,” Burton said, “Keep it game by game.”
