RIDER GAMEDAY: BRONCS BID FOR 9TH STRAIGHT VS. CANISIUS
WHO: Canisius (6-18, 4-11) at Rider (14-9, 11-3)
WHEN: Friday, 7p.m., Alumni Gymnasium
TV/ RADIO: ESPN3/ 107.7The Bronc Retro
LAST TIME OUT: Rider def. Fairfield, 58-57; Canisius def. Quinnipiac, 85-65
STREAK: Rider W8; Canisius W1 SERIES HISTORY: Rider leads, 3916. The Broncs won the first meeting, 66-64, a tight score that has been the standard when these two get together. Seven of the last 10have been decided by three points or less. KENPOM RANK: Rider 175; Canisius
274 NCAA NET RANK: Rider 191; Canisius 283
SCOUTING RIDER: It’s tight atop the MAAC where the top three teams are separated by half a game. Rider and Iona are both 11-3in the league, with Siena right behind at 11-4. While those three all have to play each other one more time — the Broncs host the Saints next Friday on ESPNU and the Gaels in the regular-season finale — the Golden Griffins are up first. … Rider’s defense has been outstanding, allowing just 61.1points per game, during a run in which it has won four games by three points or less and another in overtime. While its overall scoring defense is still top-70 nationally (69th; 65.9points), the work its done in the last eight games would place it among the 15best defenses. … Mervin James has recorded consecutive double-doubles after he scored 10points and hauled down 10rebounds against Fairfield. The senior out of the U.S. Virgin Islands is averaging 13.3points and 7.1rebounds on the season. … The Broncs have finished at least +8in rebound margin in each of the last seven games and have won on the glass in 16of 23 contests.
SCOUTING CANISIUS: The Griffs may be propping up the MAAC table, but they are more dangerous than their record suggests. Reggie Witherspoon’s side is coming off a 20-point victory over Quinnipiac — it already owns a win over Siena when the Saints were leading the MAAC — and always plays Rider tough (the Broncs have a 6-4edge in the last 10meetings). … Canisius attempts (25.4) and makes (8.8) more 3-pointers per game than anybody else in the MAAC, although it ranks right in the middle of the pack with a 34.5% connect rate. While the Griffs are third in scoring offense (70 points per game), they rarely stop anybody and rank last in defense, allowing 74points per game, which is nearly four more than the 10th place team. … TJ Gadsden, a 6-7sophomore forward, is coming off a 31-point performance in which he began the game 11-for-11 from the field. Gadsden’s numbers are all over the place, as he preceded that 31-point outburst with a five-point effort in eight minutes against Iona. Before that was 22points at Quinnipiac and one game prior to that four points at Fairfield. … Graduate guard Jordan Henderson is the leading scorer at 13.9points and 34.2% on 3s, while guard Tahj Staveskie checks in at 11 points and guard Jamir Moultrie at 9.5 points and 38.3% on 3s.