January 15, 2006 - Marist 89 Rider 66
January 15, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Men’s College Basketball
Marist College 89, Rider University 66
LAWRENCEVILLE--The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Marist Sunday afternoon. “One thing the game of basketball has taught me,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey, “is that winning and losing are both temporary. How you react to both sometimes is the difference in what your team becomes.”
With the score tied at 24-24, Marist (8-6, 2-4 MAAC) out-scored Rider 21-6 over the final 7:12 of the first half to take a 45-30 lead at the half. Marist’s Carl Hood had 10 of those 21 and finished with a game-high 22 points.
“We really played poorly in the first half,” said Dempsey. “Marist is a very good team, so if you dig yourself a hole like that, they aren’t going to allow you to get out of that hole.”
Holding a 52-39 lead, Marist went on an 8-0 run to take a 60-39 lead with 15:25 left to play. Trailing 77-52, Rider (4-10, 0-6 MAAC) went on an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 77-60 with 6:12 remaining, but could get no closer.
The loss was Rider’s sixth in a row. “I’m disappointed in the way we’re playing right now, to say the least, but there are six weeks left and we’re not going to stop fighting,” said Dempsey.
For Rider, senior Edwin Muniz (Passaic) led the Broncs with 18 points. Junior Terrance Mouton (Lafayette, LA/Acadiana) scored 12 points and sophomore Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) had 11 points and eight rebounds.
Rider shot committed 19 turnovers. “We seem to be forcing things too much,” said Muniz. “We need to take care of the ball better.”
Will Whittington made five three-point field goals and finished with 19 points. Jared Jordan compiled 16 assists for Marist.
Rider hosts Niagara Friday, January 20, in a re-match of the 2005 MAAC Championship Game. “Your character is always in question when you are at a low point,” said Dempsey. “Right now we’ll see what these guys are made of. We kind of hit rock bottom. We have nowhere to go but up right now.”
-RU-
