LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ –Monmouth University Men's Basketball (10-17, 9-5) got Diago Quinn's (New York, NY/Lake Forest Academy) third career double-double and 17 points from Ray Salnave (Elmont, NY/Benjamin N. Cardozo) off the bench, but were topped by Rider University (13-13, 8-6) at Alumni Gym Friday, 81-72.

Monmouth trimmed the Rider lead to three twice in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Broncs kept MU at an arms length until taking a 10-point lead on Anthony Durham's triple at 6:44. MU immediately answered with a 5-0 run, including a George Papas (Jersey City, NJ/Union Catholic) triple to get within five, but RU did not allow the Hawks any closer. MU only trailed by more than 11 in the final seconds, with Rider knocking in late free throws to secure the win.

Rider jumped to a 7-0 lead in the opening minutes, a lead they would hold the duration of the period. MU got back in it thanks to an eight point, nine rebound first half from Quinn and six more points from Mustapha Traore (Philadelphia, PA/Phelps School). The Blue and White trimmed the Rider lead as low as three multiple times, but late foul shots from Dimencio Vaughn and Devine Eke made it a six-point Rider lead into the break.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"Rider was too much tonight. They had a good plan, they pressed and trapped so we couldn't run our stuff and we didn't handle it very well." – Head Coach King Rice

-Diago Quinn completed his second double-double of the season and third of his career with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
-It marks Quinn's second double-figure rebounding effort of the year.
-Monmouth now trails Rider in the all-time series 30-22.
-The Hawks and Broncs have now split 14 games as MAAC opponents since MU joined the league in 2013, with the teams separated by just 12 total points in the 14 contests.
-MU now sits in second place in the MAAC, a half-game behind Canisius.
­-Ray Salnave has now led MU in scoring in 12 games this season, finishing with 17 tonight.
-Monmouth had its second four-game winning streak of the season snapped.
-MU put four in double figures for the third time this season, doing so vs. Princeton and at Quinnipiac.
-Nick Rutherford scored in double figures for the second time as a Hawk, finishing with 10 points.
-The Hawks were one point shy of their highest scoring second half of the season at 47 points.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-MU outrebounded Rider 42-37.
-The Hawks topped Rider's bench 27-17.
-The Blue and White were eight points better in the paint, 40-32.
-MU outshot Rider, 43.1% to 41.8%.
-The Hawks turned it over a season high 23 times.
-Frederick Scott netted a game high 21 points for Rider.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth hosts Marist on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN+.