Senior David Brooks scored a career-high 31 points Saturday against Rider.

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – Senior David Brooks (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored a career-high 31 points to lead the Niagara University men’s basketball team (19-8, 13-5) Saturday afternoon, but it wasn’t enough as it fell to Rider University (17-10, 13-5), 113-106 in overtime in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference contest in Alumni Gym.

Brooks was 12 of 15 from the field, 5 of 12 from three-point range and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line. He also dished out six assists.

Senior Juan Mendez (Montreal, Que.) registered his 18th double-double of the season with 29 points and game-high 14 rebounds. The 6-foot-8 forward became Niagara’s only player to register 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds with a carom after blocking a shot just 4:53 into the game. He now has 1,012. Sophomore J.R. Duffey (Ft. Worth, Texas) had 15 points and classmate Lorenzo Miles (Washington, D.C.) added 13 points.

After ending regulation tied at 95, Rider went on a 10-2 run, capped by a Jerry Johnson three-pointer at 1:52, to take a 106-99 lead. Senior Alvin Cruz (Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico), who had a game-high eight assists, helped Niagara pull within four points, 106-102, when he sank three free throws with 1:31 left. Rider took a nine-point lead, 111-102, when it scored five-straight points to secure the win.

In the second half, Niagara went on a 7-1 run to take an 88-82 lead on a pair of Brooks’ free throws with 3:48 left. The Broncs responded with an 11-3 run to take a 92-91 lead with under two minutes remaining. Mendez then put the Purple Eagles back on top with two from the foul line with :28 left. Johnson hit a deep three-pointer with 17 seconds remaining, but a baseline layup by Cruz tied the game, sending it into overtime.

Rider opened the game with a 13-6 run, but junior James Mathis’ (Newark, N.J.) dunk at 9:48 gave Niagara its first lead, 24-22. After four more ties, Rider’s Steve Castleberry’s layup at the three-minute mark gave the Broncs a 41-37 lead. Niagara responded with a 7-1 run with four points from Mendez to regain the lead, 43-42. Rider closed the half with a layup and two free throws for a 46-43 lead.

The Purple Eagles enter the 23th annual MAAC Tournament as the No. 1 seed and as conference champions.