February 23, 2007 - Rider 81 Canisius 72
February 23, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Men’s College Basketball
Rider University 81, Canisius College 72
BUFFALO, NY— Junior Kam Warner (Pleasantville) scored a career-high 24 points to lead Rider to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win at Canisius Friday. “Early on we couldn’t make any shots, and when we put Kam into the game he really brought some life to us,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey.
Warner made his first three three-point field goal attempts and finished with a career-high six (of eight) three-pointers. “Sometime shooting the basketball is contagious,” Dempsey said. “Kam drilled a couple of shots and all of a sudden it seemed like everybody relaxed and came out in the second half and played really good offense.”
Rider scored 53 points in the second half, compared to 18 second half points in the loss to Murray State last Saturday. “It seemed it took us a while to shake the hangover from the Murray State game, but once we did we really got it going,” Dempsey said.
The victory puts Rider in a three-way tie for fifth place going into the final game of the season. “That doesn’t mean anything until Sunday,” Dempsey said, “but if we win we get that first round bye, so this was a big win for us.”
Trailing 54-51, Rider (15-13, 9-8 MAAC) went on a 14-0 run, seven points by Warner, to take a 65-54 lead with 5:30 left to play. Warner’s two-pointer with 9:25 left gave Rider a 56-54 lead, Rider’s first lead since 7-6 four minutes into the game. That was the fourth and final lead change of the game.
Trailing 41-34, Rider out-scored Canisius 12-5, seven points by junior Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape), to tie the score at 46-46 with 13:30 remaining. Thompson finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds for his 16th ‘double-double’ of the season and the 29th of his career.
Thompson now has 1,276 points, 15th highest ever at Rider and his 725 rebounds is sixth highest ever at Rider. Thompson entered the game 10th in the nation in rebounding (9.9), 27th in scoring (19.7) and 29th in blocked shots (2.2). Thompson leads the MAAC in rebounding and is second in scoring.
Holding a 27-26 lead, Canisius (11-17, 6-11 MAAC) out-scored Rider 7-2 over the final 2:00 of the first half, four points by Shaun James and Canisius led 34-28 at half time.
Sophomore Harris Mansell (Cheltenham, PA) compiled 12 points and a career-high nine assists, freshman Ryan Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) added six points and eight rebounds and senior Terrance Mouton (Lafayette, LA/Acadiana) added 12 points. Mouton now has 1100 career points, 23rd highest ever at Rider.
Rider made eight of 12 foul shots in the final 1:16 to preserve the victory, but made just 17 of 28 (61%) for the game. Rider entered the game 37th in the nation in free throw percentage and second in the MAAC.
The Broncs have beaten Canisius nine straight times. The last time Canisius beat Rider was in the 2003 regular season finale in Buffalo.
Rider stays in Western New York to complete the regular season Sunday afternoon (1pm) at Niagara. Rider has now won three of its last five games heading into the regular season finale at Niagara Sunday afternoon.
-RU-
