The Marist Red Foxes will travel to Alumni Gymnasium (Rider) to take on the Rider Broncs this Sunday afternoon in College Basketball action.
The Marist Red Foxes lost their 2nd straight game and dropped to 2-4 on the season after being defeated by the Iona Gaels, 78-71, this past Wednesday. Marist led by a 65-58 margin with just 6:53 left in regulation, however, the Red Foxes struggled on both ends of the court and allowed Iowa to fight back for the victory after the Gales closed out the final 2:41 of regulation on a 14-0 run. Marist shot 49.2% from the field & 20.0% from beyond the arc while allowing Iona to shoot 39.7% from the field & 28.6% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Red Foxes was Samkelo Cele who had 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, & 2 steals.
On the season, Marist is averaging 71.0 ppg on 43.3% shooting from the field. The Red Foxes are averaging 7.5 three-pointers per game on 31.5% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Marist has been led by Ricardo Wright (13.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.2 apg), Raheim Sullivan (12.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.5 spg), Samkelo Cele (8.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.0 apg), & Jordan Jones (7.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.5 bpg).
Defensively, Marist is allowing their opponents to average 73.5 ppg on 44.6% shooting from the field. The Red Foxes have a rebound margin of 0.8 and a turnover margin of -0.3.
The Rider Broncs lost their 3rd straight game and dropped to 3-7 on the season after being defeated by the Iona Gaels, 80-54, this past Friday night. Rider had no answers on the offensive end for the Iona defense and could not fight back after going into halftime trailing by a 45-26 margin. Rider shot just 30.4% from the field & 5.6% from beyond the arc while allowing Iona to shoot 41.9% from the field & 30.4% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Broncs was Jaelen McGlone who had 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, & 2 steals in 19 minutes from off the bench.
On the season, Rider is averaging 64.6 ppg on 36.6% shooting from the field. The Broncs are averaging 4.8 three-pointers per game on 25.1% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Rider has been led by Dwight Murray Jr. (14.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.3 spg), Dimencio Vaughn (11.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.2 spg), Mervin James (8.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.1 spg), & Allen Powell (7.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.8 apg).
Defensively, Rider is allowing their opponents to average 72.2 ppg on 40.7% shooting from the field. The Broncs have a rebound margin of -3.1 and a turnover margin of 2.3.
The Red Foxes are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games against MAAC opponents and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 December games. The Broncs are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games & 0-5 ATS in their last 5 December games.
Marist comes into this game ranked t-200th in scoring offense, 214th in FG%, & 272nd in scoring defense. Rider has also struggled on both ends of the court this season as the Broncs come into this game ranked just 298th in scoring offense, 345th in FG%, & 246th in scoring defense.
Rider can be a tough team to play on their home court, however, the offense has really struggled this season as during their 3-game losing streak, the Broncs are averaging just 54.3 ppg. Marist has been competitive in their last two games, including almost upsetting a very good Iona team, and as I think the Red Foxes will be able to give the Rider offense trouble in this one, I’m taking Marist and the points. Good Luck!