Broncs slip in hard fought battle to Saint Peter’s
By Samantha Clark
Following their first win in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play, Rider men’s basketball faced another loss, this time to the Peacocks of Saint Peter’s University on Jan. 17, falling 69-58 on the road.
The first two minutes of play brought no success to the Broncs, until junior guard Caleb Smith stole possession and drove down the paint for an easy open layup.
Fighting through heavy Peacock defense for two more points, sophomore guard Flash Burton pulled the Broncs closer on the scoreboard. After a turnover from Saint Peters, Burton repeated this tough fight, hitting another layup 30 seconds later.
Sophomore forward Davis Bynum secured the rebound off a missed free throw from Saint Peter’s, allowing for another drive through the post for Burton, who broke the tie and gave the Broncs their first lead of the night.
Rider went scoreless for the next three minutes, which led the Peacocks on a 6-0 run, until senior guard Zion Cruz drove through for two. Cruz then obtained the defensive rebound and found an open Smith, who once again drove for two to tie the game up at 12-12.
A series of turnovers from Rider followed, setting the Peacocks off on another run to break the tie, but the Broncs did not let the game get away from them, showing strong defensive efforts.
After a spin in the paint from senior forward Shemani Fuller, the Broncs were back, only down by two halfway through the first.
Rider continued on another drought for two minutes, until Bynum splashed both his shots from the line. The scoreless streak set the Broncs back a bit, but with a foul shot and a deep two from Burton and an open jumpshot from senior forward David Helterhoff, the Broncs were within 10.
Burton went up to beat the shot clock for a step back two, followed by two foul shots from Smith, to bring it back to a single-digit game.
“We just gotta be able to stay locked in for the full 40 minutes,” Burton said, “When we start to lose focus, we gotta figure out somehow to build around that.”
After a steal and assist from Burton, freshman guard AB Coulibaly ran coast-to-coast, driving down the wood for the layup.
Helterhoff hit both of his shots at the line to put the Broncs down by five at the break, 34-29.
Fighting through the strong defense to pick up the first points of the half, Bynum splashed one up and over his defender with a jumpshot. A turnover from the Peacocks followed, opening doors for Fuller to do the same just 30 seconds later, putting the Broncs down by one.
Saint Peter’s then held Rider to 4-0 after two field goals, until Cruz hit a 3-pointer from deep, picking up another a minute later.
Fighting for the offensive rebound, Bynum maintained possession and laid it in for two, regaining the lead for the Broncs. Continuing this powerful offense a minute later, Bynum splashed a jumpshot and drew the foul for a 3-point play.
Burton sank a jumpshot and, 15 seconds later, stole possession to assist Smith in his driving layup. After the Peacocks pulled ahead once again, Burton splashed a deep turnaround jumpshot for two, putting the Broncs behind by one.
Fuller found an open Burton, who drove through the post for a one-handed dunk, the Broncs now out in front, 52-51.
Securing the defensive rebound, Cruz got a dunk of his own, forcing the eighth lead switch of the half, the tenth of the night.
Smith sank both shots at the free throw line to tie the game up at 56-56 with seven and a half minutes remaining of play.
The Peacocks then took the Broncs on an 11-0 run over the next five minutes, until Bynum rattled in a two, ending the matchup down 69-58.
“Our guys battled,” Head Coach Kevin Baggett said, “We just gotta be smarter… We gotta stay focused.”
The Broncs look to pick up their second win at home in the MAAC on Jan. 19, when they host the Sacred Heart University Pioneers at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
