Senior Tremmell Darden scored a team-high 32 and had 11 rebounds vs. Rider Sunday. |
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — Rider University outscored Niagara University, 14-11, in overtime en route to a 93-90 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory Sunday afternoon in Alumni Gym.
The loss dropped the Purple Eagles to 10-5 overall and 4-2 in the league. Rider improved to 9-6 overall and 3-2 in the conference.
Rider’s Jerry Johnson scored five of his game-high 35 points in the overtime period. Robert Taylor also netted six of his 15 points in the final five minutes.
The Broncos open overtime with a three-pointer by Johnson and had a five-point lead three times before Niagara used a 5-0 run to take a one-point lead 90-89. Junior Alvin Cruz (Rio Pedras, Puerto Rico) sank a three-pointer and junior Juan Mendez (Montreal, Quebec) sank two of his seven free-throws in the game.
Johnson sank a pair of free throws to give Rider the one-point lead with 40 seconds remaining. Niagara missed on its next offensive possession and was forced to foul with 14 second left. Taylor sank two from the charity stripe.
Mendez attempted a three-pointer with two seconds left, senior James Reaves (Rochester, N.Y.) snared the rebound and freshman Lorenzo Miles (Washington, D.C.) came up empty on a jumper on the buzzer.
Senior Tremmell Darden (Las Vegas, Nev.) led Niagara in scoring with 32 points and 11 rebounds. He tied his career high for free throws with 13 and posted a personal best in attempts with 18. Mendez recorded his fourth consecutive double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Also in double digits in scoring was Cruz with 13 and Reaves with 10.
Niagara forced overtime after trailing by nine, 47-38, with 17:06 left in the second half. The Purple Eagles slowed got back into the game with a 12-2 run over a 2:14 span. Reaves scored six of Niagara’s points during the run to help it tie the score at 66 with 6:13 left.
The Purple Eagles took a four-point lead when Darden was intentionally fouled and Rider coach Don Harnum was accessed a technical. Darden and Mendez sank the free throws to give Niagara the 74-70 lead with 3:25 remaining.
Rider tied the game twice more and took the lead 79-77 with four second left on an in-bounds play. But Cruz scored on a layup with one second remaining to force overtime.
Niagara ran out to a quick 15-6 lead with a 12-2 run to open the game. The Purple Eagles led 28-17 with a 13-3 run, but Rider stepped up its defense and put together a 17-4 run to turn Niagara’s 11-point lead into a two-point deficit at halftime, 34-32.
The Purple Eagles committed a season-high 20 turnovers in the game and shot 15.8 percent from three-point range.
Niagara returns to action Jan. 23 when it hosts Siena at 7 p.m. in the Gallagher Center.
