LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. -
A double-digit halftime deficit was too much for the Marist men's
basketball team (7-8, 2-2 MAAC) to overcome as they fell on the road to Rider
(5-11, 2-2 MAAC) by a final score of 99-86. Freshman Manny Thomas (Brooklyn,
N.Y.) led the Red Foxes with a career-high 17 points, all of which came in the
team's 62-point second half.
The action started out at a hectic pace as both teams were
well into double figures by the time the first media was whistled at 14:03.
Sophomore Jay Bowie (Tampa, Fla.) and junior Devin Price (Inglewood, Calif.)
paced the offense with eight of the team's 13 points.
With the score 16-13 in Rider's favor, the Broncs' combination
of offensive efficiency and defense helped them to run off an 11-0 run to make
it a 27-13 ball game with 10:03 remaining in the first half.
Rider increased its double-digit lead further to go into the
locker room up 45-24 over the Red Foxes at the half. While hot shooting at 54.1
percent (20-37) led the Broncs, cold shooting at 23.5 (8-34) was the Red Foxes'
main undoing.
Red-shirt sophomore Anell Alexis (Hillsborough, N.J.) and Bowie
led the team's individual efforts with seven points and four rebounds for
Alexis and six points and three boards for Bowie.
In the second half, Marist picked up their offensive efforts
to the tune of 62 points and 56.3 percent shooting and as a result they were able to
narrow their deficit to within 13 points twice, but unfortunately nothing
closer.
Thomas was the catalyst for the team in the second period as
he went 5-6 from the field, 3-4 from three-point range and a perfect 4-4 from
the line on the way to a career-high 17 points.
As a team, the Red Foxes shot 8-15 from long range over the
final 20 minutes.
After 40 minutes of action, Rider's 55.1 shooting percentage
resulted in a 99-86 setback for the Red Foxes.
Thomas was joined in double figures by sophomore Adam Kemp
(Sherrill, N.Y.), who finished with 15 points and Price, who tallied 14. Kemp
led the Red Foxes with nine rebounds and two blocks. Freshman Isaiah Morton (Richland,
N.J.) compiled a team-high and career-best tying six assists to go along with
no turnovers.
The team will right back in action on Sunday, Jan. 8 as they
face off with the conference-leading Iona Gaels in a 2 p.m. contest at McCann
Arena.
