NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Rider (13-16, 10-8 MAAC) defeated Niagara (14-13, 10-7 MAAC) 71-61 in Friday MAAC men's basketball action from the Gallagher Center.
 
Mervin James scored a game-high 24 points, finishing the game 7-for-12 from the field and 8-for-8 from the line. JT Langston Jr., added 16 in 21 minutes off the bench for the Broncs. Rider finished the game shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three, and 87.5 percent at the line while outrebounding Niagara 42-31.
 
Four Purple Eagles recorded double-digit points led by junior Dre Bullock's 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Freshman Ahmad Henderson II tallied 12 points, followed by senior Yaw Obeng-Mensah with 11 and Harlan Obioha, who finished with 10 points and 10 rebound double-double. As a team, Niagara went 24-for-57 from the field, scoring 36 of its 61 in the paint.
 
How it Happened
Niagara would maintain at least a share of the lead through the first 8:26 of game play, scoring on six of its 11 trips down the court with six different Purple Eagles finishing off the possession. However, Rider would capture the lead for the first time in the game at the 10:52 mark of the opening stanza as T.J. Weeks Jr., made the Broncs first three of the game to go up 14-13 over the Purple and White.
 
After the Broncs took a 19-15 lead over Niagara, Bullock would respond with a 5-0 run of his own to put Niagara back in front, 20-19, with 7:14 to play in the opening half.
 
That 5-0 run turned into a 12-2 spurt for Niagara over the next 2:45, giving the Purple and White its largest lead of the half. Niagara went 5-for-5 from the field during the run with Bullock scoring seven of his 15 points to give Niagara the 27-21 lead. However, Rider would respond with a run of its own, outscoring Niagara 10-1 over the final four minutes of the half to go into the intermission with a three-point advantage, 31-28.
 
Neither team came out of the locker rooms shooting well, as Rider was up by just six, 41-35, 6:37 into the half as both teams combined to go 8-for-20 from the field during that span.
 
Niagara would draw within four after a pair of Kwane Marble Jr., free throws, but the Broncs would make its next three from the floor and two at the line to build its lead to eight, 49-41, with 10:27 to play.
 
Over the next five minutes of play, Niagara would trim the Bronc lead to three, 51-48, after getting baskets from Obioha, Braxton Bayless, Bullock and Marble.
 
Rider would then use the next 3:42 to take its first double-digit lead of the contest, 63-53, with less than a minute and a half to play, before scoring its final eight points at the line to keep Niagara out of reach and secure the 71-61 win.
 
Niagara Notes
• Niagara moves to 26-32 all-time against Rider.
• Henderson reached double-digit points for the team-leading 20th time this season.
• Obioha recorded his sixth double-double of the season, and third in the last four games. The Hoxie, Kan., native grabbed double-digit boards for the fifth time this season and sixth time in his career.
• Luke Bumbalough finished with a team-high five assists. 
• After missing the last three games, Obeng-Mensah tallied 11 points, his 15th game in double figures this season.
• Niagara has now had four Purple Eagles reach double figures for the 12th time this season while having at least three record 10 or more points for the 27th time.
• Niagara's free throw percentage of 47.1 percent is a season-low.
 
Up Next
The Purple Eagles will honor its Senior Class on Sunday, March 3 when it takes on Mount St. Mary's for their final home game of 2023-24. The Senior Day ceremony is set for an 1:30 p.m. start time, followed by a 2:02 p.m. tip on ESPN+.
 
Pat Malacaro will describe the action on WGR550, while Todd Callen and Howard Simon will have the call on ESPN+.
 
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