WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Despite the fourth career double-double from junior Ed Waite, the Monmouth University men's basketball team fell to in-state rival Rider University 74-62 in the MAC on Thursday night. Monmouth, which trailed 64-60 with 3:23 left in the contest, surrendered a late 7-0 run to the Broncs in the non-conference defeat.

Waite, who led the Hawks with 15 points and 11 rebounds, hit 7-of-13 from the field, and added four assists, while Jesse Steele contributed 12 points, and freshman Austin Tillotson added 11 points and career-highs with six assists and four steals.

After falling behind 7-2 early, the Hawks answered with an 8-0 run over 3:14 of action to take the lead 8-7 on a Steele three-pointer and a 10-7 advantage on a Tillotson reverse lay-up with 12:19 remaining.

Rider stopped the Monmouth run on Daniel Stewart's drive and put together a 7-2 spurt to reclaim the lead, 14-12, with 8:49 left on a Novar Gadson three-pointer. Following a Waite offensive rebound and putback, which tied the score at 16-16, the Broncs answered with the next five points to grab a 20-16 lead with 5:33 showing.

The Hawks knotted the game for a fifth time on a Steele baseline jumper with 3:00 left on the clock, making the tally 23-23, but Rider responded with five straight to haul in a 28-23 lead with 1:38 showing.

Following a Marcus Ware lay-in off a feed from Steele, the Broncs took a 31-25 lead at the intermission on Tommy Pereira's three-pointer with 27 ticks left.

Out of the break, the Broncs increased their lead to 38-31, but a second Mike Myers Keitt elbow jumper and a Tillotson pull-up jump shot pulled Monmouth within 38-35 with 15:47 left.

Rider then answered with a 12-2 run over a span of 3:04 to take a 50-37 lead, with 12:19 showing.

The Hawks responded with a 9-2 spurt to climb within 52-46, but Rider inflated its lead to 60-51 on Brandon Penn's deep three-pointer as the shot clock expired with 6:28 remaining.

After a Jonathon Thompson free throw gave Rider a double-digit lead, Monmouth baskets from Waite and Tillotson made the score 61-55 with 4:36 left, and the Hawks clawed within 64-60 following a Will Campbell three-pointer and a Steele fast break lay-in, with 3:23 showing.

Rider notched the next seven points, five from the free throw line, to take a 71-60 advantage with 51.3 seconds remaining, before a Dion Nesmith jumper made the tally 71-62.

Penn led all scorers with 26 points, while adding a game-high 15 rebounds, while Daniel Stewart added 17 points for the Broncs, who hit 51.1% from the floor (24-47).

Monmouth returns to action on Wednesday, December 28 when the Hawks travel to Easton, Pennsylvania to face Lafayette in non-conference action at the Kirby Sports Center. Tip is set for 7:00 p.m.