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Box Score

Rider Rider 6-16,5-13 MAAC

Canisius Canis 7-6,7-5 MAAC

Rider Rider

6-16,5-13 MAAC

Final

Mar. 08, 2021

Canisius Canis

7-6,7-5 MAAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Rider Rider	36	42	78
Canisius Canis	42	34	76

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 3/8/2021 11:00:00 PM

Men’s Basketball Falls to Rider in MAAC Tournament Opening Round

Game Recap
Rider guard Dontrell McQuarter's pull-up jumper with 28.2 seconds left in the game proved to be the difference, as the No. 11 seeded Broncs raced back to defeat Canisius 78-76 Monday night in the opening round of the 2021 Hercules Tires MAAC Men's Basketball Championship at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

With the win, Rider (6-16) advances to the tournament's quarterfinal round where the Broncs will meet long-time rival Saint Peter's Thursday at 5 p.m. The loss ends Canisius' season at 7-6.

The sixth-seeded Golden Griffins took a 76-71 lead with 2:38 left in the contest after junior Jordan Henderson drilled a 3-point field goal from the right wing. But that basket would be the Blue and Gold's final points of the night, as Rider outscored Canisius 7-0 over the final 2:08 to seal the victory.

Canisius had three chances to tie or win the game in regulation in the contest's closing 20 seconds, but came up empty. The Griffs took a 30-second timeout after McQuarter's go-ahead bucket, and came back on the floor to get a good look at a 3-pointer that was off the mark. Canisius was able to grab that offensive rebound, but turned the ball over following a bad pass with 14 seconds left to play. After Canisius used its final timeout, the Griffs were whistled for a foul, sending Rider to the free-throw line, but both of those free-throws were missed, and Canisius raced up the floor for one more offensive effort. However, a 3-point with time running out bounced off the back iron and the Griffs were unable to get another shot off as the final horn sounded.

Henderson ended the night with a team-high 16 points, thanks in part to four makes from long-range. He also added six rebounds, an assist and a steal to his final stat line. Sophomore Armon Harried tied a career-high with 15 points to go along with eight boards, and junior Malek Green, who earned All-MAAC Third Team honors earlier in the day, posted 13 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. Senior Majesty Brandon and sophomore Jacco Fritz each chipped in nine points for the Griffs, as the team shot 42.4 percent from the field, while making 9-of-31 3-point tries and 11-of-17 free-throws.

Junior Dwight Murray, Jr., led all scorers with 22 points for the Broncs, while Allen Powell was good for 19 points and two steals. McQuarter finished the game with a double-double after he scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, with all 11 coming off the defensive glass.

Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon's Postgame Comments
"First off, you need to give Rider a ton of credit. They never gave up. I've watched them on film a lot over the last few days, obviously, and it really jumped out at me how hard they've been playing recently."

"I'd like to say how much I appreciate the effort our guys have given this season. Not just on the basketball court, but in everything they've dealt with as far as the stops and starts with COVID, and really being dedicated to what we're doing here. This group has fought through an awful lot. We didn't get to play another home game after Jan. 2. We've spent the better part of the last two months on a bus and in a hotel. There have been so many challenges, both on and off the basketball court. There were days we could barely practice because we didn't have enough guys available. But the guys never complained, they just kept working. They represented themselves, their families and our program in a way that I will never forget."

Game Notes
• Monday was the 53rd meeting between Canisius and Rider. The Broncs now lead the all-time series 38-15.
• Monday also marked the fifth time these programs have played in the MAAC Tournament, where Rider leads that portion of the series 4-1.
• Five of the last seven games between Canisius and Rider have been decided by five-points or fewer, and the last two meetings, dating back to Feb. 7, 2020, have been decided by a total of three points.
• The Griffs' seven 3-point field goals in the first half were the most for a 20-minute stretch all season.
• Canisius committed just six turnovers in the game, matching the program record for fewest turnovers in a MAAC Tournament game (6 vs. Iona, 3/9/14, 6 vs. Siena, 2/28/97).
• Henderson's four 3-pointers were a season-high for the junior from Cincinnati.
• Harried closed out the season averaging 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game over the team's last four outings.
• Green ended his first year in a Canisius uniform with five-or more rebounds in all 13 games. His 7.2 rebounds per game is the highest rebounding average for a Canisius player since former Griffs forward Christ Manhertz grabbed 8.7 rebounds per game during the 2012-13 season.
• Senior Jalanni White made his 50th career start on Monday night.
• The Griffs' 7-6 overall record gives Canisius a winning record in three of the last five season.

For complete coverage of Canisius men's basketball, please follow the Griffs on social media at @Griffs_MBB on Twitter and Instagram.

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