Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Broncs' forward Mike Ringgold made a tip in that bounced on top of the rim three times before falling with seven seconds remaining to send Rider (9-7, 2-2 MAAC) home with a 65-64 victory over Manhattan (6-8, 1-3 MAAC) at Draddy Gymnasium on Monday. Jaspers' guard Rico Pickett led all players with 25 points. Patrick Bouli added 13 points on a 5-for-8 shooting night as Manhattan dropped its third straight contest.
"We did a nice job with them in the first half, holding them to 23 points, and they are a good offensive team," stated Jaspers' fourth year head coach Barry Rohrssen. "But in the second half, letting them almost double that point total is where we had our biggest problem."
Manhattan led by as many as 16 points in the contest and held an advantage for nearly 36 minutes, including 19 minutes in the second half. Pickett got the Jaspers rolling on a 15-3 run to erase an early two point deficit, their only disadvantage of the first half. The junior from Alabama sank five consecutive shots during the run, including three 3-pointers, for 13 points to give Manhattan a 17-7 lead with 12 minutes remaining.
Bouli's 3-poitners were also falling in the first half. He shot 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, while Antoine Pearson gave the Jaspers one more just eight seconds before intermission to give Manhattan its largest lead, 34-16. Pearson finished with eight points off the bench.
The last second of the first half proved to be a prosperous one for the Broncs as they posted five quick points. It began when senior guard Ryan Thompson sank a pair of free-throws, and then junior guard Justin Robinson took advantage of an inbounding blunder and sank a 3-pointer as time expired.
Manhattan shot 54.5% (6-11) from beyond the arc in the first half. The Jaspers limited Rider to just 23 points in the opening period.
The Jaspers battled in the second stanza, but ran into trouble holding off Rider which shot 61.5% from the field and went 7-for-10 from 3-point range. Ringgold scored all nine of his points in the second period, and Robinson added nine more to finish with a team-high 17 points. Robinson went 7-for-10 shooting.
Rider made its push midway through the second half rallying for a 17-4 run to take a 54-53 lead with 8:45 remaining. The Jaspers fought back responding first with Bouli's lay up, and then a dazzling three point play by Pearson to regain a four point edge (58-54) with seven minutes to go. The contest remained a two possession game the rest of the way.
Rider got its break with 29 seconds left on Pearson's miss on a front end of a 1-and-1, which set up Ringgold's clutch bucket. Pearson got one last heave from 3 that fell short as time expired and Rider escaped with the victory.
The Jaspers got seven points and nine rebounds from senior forward Brandon Adams. Broncs' forward Novar Gadson recorded a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Thompson finished with 12 points.
Manhattan returns to action on Friday when the Jaspers host Saint Peter's at Draddy Gymnasium. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m.
"We have to comeback and fight," Rohrssen emphasized. "When you hit adversity it reveals your character."
