Rider gets unfavorable MAAC schedule
It won’t take long for Rider to be tested in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play.
The Broncs were handed one of the tougher draws in the league with their first three games against Siena, Quinnipiac and four-time defending tournament champion Iona. The good news is two of those three — against Siena and Iona — will be at Alumni Gymnasium.
Siena knocked Rider out of the MAAC Tournament last year with an 87-81 victory in the quarterfinals. The Saints shot a sizzling 17for-21 from the field in the second half.
The Broncs split with Quinnipiac last season, although a meltdown in the final minute in Hamden resulted in an OT loss after blowing a nine-point lead in the final minute.
Iona swept the season series last year and has won 12 of the last 15 meetings between the two.
The MAAC has moved back to a 20-game round robin schedule after using an 18-game slate the last two seasons. That gives each team in the league an extra home date, which comes in handy considering many of the schools spend a great deal of time on the road during non-league play. Rider, for exam- ple, has just two of its 10 non-con- ference games at home.
The Broncs bookend the month of February against in-state rival Monmouth. They travel to West Long Branch on Feb. 2 and finish the year’s shortest month at home on Feb. 28 against the Hawks.
With the MAAC tournament being pushed back a week now that it’s in Atlantic City, that leaves three regular-season games in March. Including, the Feb. 28 game against Monmouth, Rider closes with three of its last four at home. The regular-season finale is Friday, March 6 vs. Marist.
The Broncs tip off the 2019-20 season on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Coppin State. The non-conference schedule features trips to Arizona State, Temple and Wisconsin.