November 30, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Men's College Basketball

#4 Villanova University 86, Rider University 57

TRENTON--An old basketball adage states that whoever wins the first five minutes of the second half usually wins the game. If that had held true Wednesday night, the Rider Broncs would have stunned the college basketball world. “I thought the character of our kids was obvious to get the score back to within 11,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.   “I was just thrilled with the way we competed.”

Rider scored the first seven points of the second half and out-scored Villanova 17-8, five points each by senior Edwin Muniz (Passaic), senior Paul Johnson (Virginia Beach, VA/Salem) and freshman Harris Mansell (Cheltenham, PA), to cut the lead to 54-43 with 13:24 remaining, but that was as close as the Broncs could get.  Mansell finished with 10 points and five rebounds off the bench. “I was very proud of the way that we played once we settled into that game,” said Dempsey.

As it turned out, Rider lost by 29 points to fourth ranked Villanova Wednesday at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. ‘Nova won its first two games of the season by an average of 40 points. “I know it was a 29-point loss, but at the same time, there was a long stretch of that game when it was pretty much played even,” said Dempsey.

The Wildcats went on a 15-4 run to regain their 20-point lead mid-way through the second half, improving to 3-0.

Villanova jumped out to a 19-4 lead in the first five minutes, making four three-point field goals, and never trailed. Villanova led 46-26 at the half.  “I think we were a bit overwhelmed by the speed of the game as it opened up,” Dempsey said.  “They played the first six minutes of that game like the number four team in the country, but we had a very competitive response.”

Sophomore Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) had nine of Rider’s first half points, and finished with 15 points and a pair of blocked shots. “I was just real excited to play a team like Villanova,” said Thompson.  “If we had played with the same intensity the entire game that we had to start the second half, who knows what the out-come would have been.”

Freshman Rodney Pierce (Buffalo, NY/Hutchinson Tech) added eight points, five assists and four rebounds off the bench. “It was exciting to play them, and it was a learning experience,” said Pierce.

After tough losses to Bucknell and Drexel, the Broncs will now travel to Monmouth Saturday evening with a 1-3 record. “This is one heck of a 1-3 basketball team,” said Dempsey. “Playing this schedule is going to make us stronger. At the end of February no one is going to ask how you did the first four games.”

-RU-