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Despite trailing league leading Loyola by 10 points with 90 seconds left, the Broncs battled back to get within three points on three occasions before letting the Greyhounds escape with a 78-73 win yesterday at Rider’s Alumni Gymnasium in a MAAC contest before 1,650 cranberry-clad onlookers.
The win coupled with Siena’s 80-69 defeat of Manhattan gives the Greyhounds (11-7, 7-1 MAAC) sole possession of first place. Since dropping a league-opening tilt to St. Peter’s the Greyhounds have reeled off seven straight MAAC wins.
The loss, which is the Broncs third straight in the conference, drops them to 10-9 overall and 4-5 in the MAAC.
"I feel we are close and we know we have to get over the hump,’’ said Dempsey, the Rider coach. "We are playing with the best teams in the league, but the teams in the upper echelon we haven’t been able to beat yet. That’s the growing pains that we are going through. We are much better and we are closing the gap. But, we need to get one of these game to feel we can compete with these teams.’’
The Broncs trailed by as much as 47-35 with 17 minutes left and then again by 72-62 with 90 seconds left, but they made a game of it down the stretch on 3’s by Harris Mansell (15 points), Ryan Thompson (11 points) and Lamar Johnson (a career high 20 points), but Loyola, which was led by Gerald Brown’s 31, made enough free throws -- and defensive stops -- to win.
"They are a good team and a good program,’’ said Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos, of the Broncs. "Jason Thompson is an NBA player, not a prospect, if he keeps working. We were lucky to win, but Gerald Brown can really play.’’
Rider besides the clutch shooting, from beyond the arc, by Johnson got 21 points and 13 rebounds from Jason Thompson, who is second in the MAAC in scoring and first in rebounding. It was Thompson’s 23rd double-double of his career.
"Rider is a good team and (Jason) Thompson is a good player and we just wanted to come in here and get a win,’’ said Brown, who leads the MAAC in scoring and steals after transferring from Providence . "We knew that they are the type of team that could sneak up on a few teams and we wanted to get back home and focus on the next game.’’
After a tough outing at Manhattan on Thursday, the Broncs played with more intensity and continued to battle back against the Greyhounds.
"It’s frustrating at times because we kept coming back, but couldn’t get over the hump,’’ said Jason Thompson. "We know we have the talent to get these wins. We have to stay positive and get more consistent on the defensive end to not allow them any runs.’’
When the Broncs did get a run it usually involved a big 3-pointer from Johnson, who had been struggling from long distance.
"I tried not to think about my 3’s going into the game especially since I’ve been so inconsistent,’’ said Johnson, who was 6-for-10 from 3-point range. "When I hit the first two it was a confidence lifter.’’
Overall, though, the Broncs shot poorly hit just 37 percent, but a 21-for-26 performance from the charity stripe kept it close.
"Our kids fought hard and I don’t think you can question our intensity level,’’ said Dempsey, the Rider coach. "We didn’t shoot the ball and they defend and they are good. Right now they are a little bit better then us.’’
But the Broncs are getting closer.
