Rider basketball is the favorite for the Metro-Atlantic crown, but the maturing Broncs have already overcome some big deficits to open conference play
Rider basketball dug themselves out of another deep hole on Friday night, improving their record in MAAC play to 3-0. In one of the toughest buildings in the Metro-Atlantic, the Broncs overcame a deficit as large as 13 in the second half. The win came on the road to a Canisius team picked to finish second behind Rider in the preseason MAAC poll, and in the Koessler Center in Buffalo where the Broncs lost one of only three conference games a season ago.
Kevin Baggett’s team has been no stranger to the dramatic as they’ve risen to the top of the Metro-Atlantic. The young Broncs, who were led by a core of mostly freshmen, played in a handful of one-possession games and erased their fair share of major deficits a season ago. That flair has followed them into the 2018-19 MAAC season, climbing their way out of double-digit disadvantages in two of their three opening league games. Rider came from behind to stun Fairfield in the conference opener before storming back in Buffalo on Friday night.
And Rider closed the second half gap against the Griffins quicker than Baggett could have hoped. Canisius opened up a 53-40 lead at the 14:14 mark, and less than four minutes later a Devine Eke layup would top off a 14-0 Rider run. The Broncs would go on to win by nine in a major statement game following a disappointing non-conference season. Frederick Scott led the scoring effort with 22, shooting 7-9 from the floor. Point guard Stevie Jordan added 14 of his own, playing every minute of the game before fouling out with 18 seconds left. Rider dropped 82 despite an abysmal 1-15 mark from three-point range.
Rider pulled off the win in one of the toughest MAAC buildings that isn’t their own Alumni Gym, but they’ll have plenty of tests left before the conference tournament in Albany. The Broncs still have MAAC powerhouse Iona to play twice, along with I-195 rival Monmouth; Rider and Monmouth have spent the last two years trading upsets.
Even King Rice’s Hawks that started the season 0-12 will provide a challenge to Rider’s ascent back to the top of the Metro-Atlantic. But a 3-0 start is exactly where Kevin Baggett wanted to be at this point, and his maturing side has shown a resiliency that will be on the mind of any team that opens a big lead on Rider this season.