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Lawrenceville, NJ - Junior Zane Waterman (Winston-Salem, NC / Fayetteville Academy) scored a game-high 30 points but it wasn't enough as Rider defeated Manhattan 93-82 at Alumni Gymnasium.
The Jaspers fall to 10-20 and 5-14 in the MAAC and will conclude the regular season at Iona on Friday at 9:00 pm in a game that will be televised by ESPNU while the Broncs improve to 16-14 and 9-10 in the league.
Manhattan made good on 10-of-13 to start the game and converted on a blistering 62.1 percent (18-of-29) in the opening stanza en route to scoring a season-high 53 points, which is the most by the Jaspers since hitting for 53 in the first half of a 95-82 victory over Saint Peter's on January 8, 2006.
Leading the charge to start the game was junior Calvin Crawford (Middletown, NY / St. Thomas More (CT)), who drained his first six shots en route to notching 15 of the first 24 points for the visitors as Manhattan built up a nine-point advantage with just over 13 minutes to play until halftime.
The lead would reach double-figures on two occasions before the Jaspers went into the half up 53-44 following a pair of Waterman free throws. In the opening half, the junior duo of Waterman (23) and Crawford (15) combined for 38 points on 12-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-9 from deep. Freshman Aaron Walker Jr. (Brooklyn, NY / Cardozo) also had a solid opening 20 minutes, adding eight points.
After halftime, the teams battled over the first nine-plus minutes of the second with Manhattan holding a 70-63 lead following sophomore Thomas Capuano's (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY / Iona Prep) second triple of the night.
Rider then embarked on a game-changing 9-0 run in taking a 72-70 lead with 6:50 to play only to see Waterman answer with a pair from the line.
Later in the half with the score tied at 74-74, Jimmie Taylor skied for an offensive rebound and hit a pair from the line while starting a 6-0 Bronc run.
Junior Zavier Turner (Indianapolis, IN / Ball State) quickly answered with a tough jumper only to see Rider respond with a three-point play.
The Jaspers would get to within five with 2:35 to play but no closer in dropping a 93-82 decision.
Manhattan shot a solid 45.8 percent (27-of-59) from the floor, including a blistering 48.0 percent (12-of-25) from deep, and 84.2 percent (16-of-19) from the line.
The Broncs were able to withstand a great Jasper shooting performance thanks to posting a 41-27 advantage on the glass that led to a 46-18 differential on points in the paint.
Waterman, who scored a career-high 35 in the teams' first meeting, was 8-of-14 from the floor and 11-of-12 from the line in notching his second 30-point performance of the year with an even 30 to go along with nine rebounds.
Crawford added 17 points while matching Waterman with nine rebounds. Turner chipped in with 14 points and five assists while Walker Jr. had 10 points in rounding out the double-figure performers for Manhattan.
Jimmie Taylor paced Rider with 28 points while Kahlil Thomas added 18 points and nine rebounds with Norville Carey chipping in with 17 points and eight caroms.
