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Fairfield 79, Rider 75 (OT)
LAWRENCEVILLE – This was an instant classic – a game that fans of both teams will likely remember for years.
Rider and Fairfield went back and forth Friday night at Alumni Gym, exchanging blows and scoring in improbable ways at improbable times.
In the end though, this was one that got away from Rider. After rallying to force overtime in the final seconds, the Broncs ran out of answers in the extra session and fell to the upstart Stags, 79-75.
Rider, which lost Ryan Thompson with just over two minutes left when he was ejected for elbowing Fairfield’s Derek Needham, tied the game on a runner by Justin Robinson with 4.8 seconds left in regulation.
Yet Anthony Johnson’s dominance and two costly turnovers turned this into a thrilling win for the Stags and a frustrating defeat for the Broncs.
Thompson carried Rider for stretches in the second half, but the Broncs couldn’t stop Johnson inside. The 6-foot-9 senior was unstoppable in the low post and almost perfect at the free throw line, where he finished 13 for 15.
His basket with 1:50 left in overtime stretched a one-point game into a three-point game, giving the Stags a 76-73 lead. Rider got to within two once, but never got closer.
Thompson scored 18 points to lead Rider. Robinson added 15 and Mike Ringgold 13. But Johnson played an unforgettable game. He finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds, while Needham added 20 points.
When Gadson brought Rider to within one with 3:46 left, Johnson hit another two free throws, stretching the Fairfield lead to 68-65 with 3:03 left in regulation.
The next possession changed the direction of the game – not necessarily for the worse for Rider.
Thompson was called for an offensive foul when he inadvertently elbowed Needham in the face. After the officials met, Thompson was assessed a flagrant foul and ejected.
The ejection, though woke up what had been a quiet crowd, and Rider responded. Younblood scored to cut the deficit to three, and Rider had a chance to tie with 35 seconds left, only to see Gadson miss from the top of the key.
Needham, though, missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving Rider new life. The Broncs opted for a quick two in the form of a Youngblood dunk with 11.7 seconds left, and after a Fairfield timeout, Rider fouled Johnson on the ensuing inbounds pass.
The senior finally faltered at the line, making only one of two and setting the stage for a dramatic Rider possession.
Robinson then scored on a floater in the lane with 4.8 seconds left to tie it at 71.
Needham, trying to hurry the ball up the floor, stepped on the sideline after being forced out by Youngblood.
Rider had a chance to win it with 3.4 seconds left, but Jon Thompson’s baseline runner fell short, sending the game to overtime.
Rider and Fairfield went back and forth Friday night at Alumni Gym, exchanging blows and scoring in improbable ways at improbable times.
In the end though, this was one that got away from Rider. After rallying to force overtime in the final seconds, the Broncs ran out of answers in the extra session and fell to the upstart Stags, 79-75.
Rider, which lost Ryan Thompson with just over two minutes left when he was ejected for elbowing Fairfield’s Derek Needham, tied the game on a runner by Justin Robinson with 4.8 seconds left in regulation.
Yet Anthony Johnson’s dominance and two costly turnovers turned this into a thrilling win for the Stags and a frustrating defeat for the Broncs.
Thompson carried Rider for stretches in the second half, but the Broncs couldn’t stop Johnson inside. The 6-foot-9 senior was unstoppable in the low post and almost perfect at the free throw line, where he finished 13 for 15.
His basket with 1:50 left in overtime stretched a one-point game into a three-point game, giving the Stags a 76-73 lead. Rider got to within two once, but never got closer.
Thompson scored 18 points to lead Rider. Robinson added 15 and Mike Ringgold 13. But Johnson played an unforgettable game. He finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds, while Needham added 20 points.
When Gadson brought Rider to within one with 3:46 left, Johnson hit another two free throws, stretching the Fairfield lead to 68-65 with 3:03 left in regulation.
The next possession changed the direction of the game – not necessarily for the worse for Rider.
Thompson was called for an offensive foul when he inadvertently elbowed Needham in the face. After the officials met, Thompson was assessed a flagrant foul and ejected.
The ejection, though woke up what had been a quiet crowd, and Rider responded. Younblood scored to cut the deficit to three, and Rider had a chance to tie with 35 seconds left, only to see Gadson miss from the top of the key.
Needham, though, missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving Rider new life. The Broncs opted for a quick two in the form of a Youngblood dunk with 11.7 seconds left, and after a Fairfield timeout, Rider fouled Johnson on the ensuing inbounds pass.
The senior finally faltered at the line, making only one of two and setting the stage for a dramatic Rider possession.
Robinson then scored on a floater in the lane with 4.8 seconds left to tie it at 71.
Needham, trying to hurry the ball up the floor, stepped on the sideline after being forced out by Youngblood.
Rider had a chance to win it with 3.4 seconds left, but Jon Thompson’s baseline runner fell short, sending the game to overtime.
posted by Ben Doody at
9:54 PM
15 Comments:
What's and "instance classic?"
anywhere where you can watch a replay of the game
Amazingly, no discussion of the controversial call that lead to the ejection.....which even Cooley was questioning the call after the game. Awful job by the officials in that spot. You can't go to the monitor and throw out the preseason POY. have some sense. There were 3 guys looking at the play and none of them had it as an ejection in real time...so why go to the monitor (esp, a monitor that is only there for selective games).
Only difference between last night and the rest of the season was instead of Ryan Thompson standing in the corner of the floor doing nothing in crunch time, he was in the locker room doing nothing at crunch time.
No Sack - That must have been like a wet dream for you, RT getting ejected like that. A mind-numbingly bad call by three blind mice, who no one came to see anyway. But even you must know that RT was the best player on the floor.
may sound crazy but i think that rider's goal these next three games in the maac should be to go 1-2 and play for the 6th seed. now that the 3 is almost unattainable i would rather not have the broncs get the 4-5 and possibly have to play niagara first and siena second. getting the 6 seed would put rider against probably fairfield (who rider has shown they can beat) and iona (who has been struggling lately)
RT was not the best player on the floor. he played well in the 2nd half...but Needham was clearly the best player on the floor. Cooley has been playing him big minutes so he's wore down a little late and got sloppy, but anybody who watched that game knew who was the best player.
Also, you can even make the case that Johnson is better. He was definitely the most dominant player on the floor last night....but I'm not sure if rider's lack of inside toughness and refusal to guard the post made him better than he is.
I agree. Let niagara get the 5 and have a war with Siena on saturday.
Rider can beat Iona/Fairfield/St Pete in the 3-6 game.
Faz - Needham had a great opening 10 minutes, but was not a big factor the rest of the way. Except for his missed FT's late. Johnson was unexpectedly great from the FT line and the lack of a true 4 to guard him didn't help.
Its the weekly TMD39 excuse blog for RT:
Last Friday night, we had a funeral in the morning. NO SHOW.
This Friday night, a frustration elbow that led to an ejection. Not his fault, blame the officials. Keep them coming TMD39.
Maybe you can interview with the NBA teams instead of him. You have all the excuses for the season.
Do you have the excuse ready for February 26th yet? Or would you rather wait until after the game.
No Sack - So, you honestly think that was a just call? Try to be objective. I know that will be tough for you, considering the hard on you have for RT. Personally, I don't care if that call was on RT or Ringgold or Robinson (or Needham or Johnson from Fairfield, for that matter), it was a terrible call. It would have been a terrible call if they had called it on Crawford in the 1st half when they reviewed his elbow to RT. But I'm sure you don't have the required intelligence to be objective when it comes to RT.
Objective???
1) The Preseason POY has been MAAC player of the week a ONCE...Impressive.
2) Ben had the Preseason POY on the fourth team at the midway point of the MAAC season...guess he is not objective either.
3) The ESPNU crew that did the game on Friday night thought he should have been tossed....guess they are out to get RT too.
Why is it so hard for everyone to say he has been awful, under achieved, and that is the reason for the team's struggles. When he plays well, the team does well.
If he hadn't been a no show in the first half Friday night maybe they are not down 5 with 2:30 to go.
No Sack - What does #1 or 2 have to do with the call? And I don't remember hearing anyone on the ESPNU telecast saying it was the right call. And once again, I never said he hasn't been dissapointing. But so has most of his teammates and his head coach. I just don't think it's all his fault.
1. Kennedy said it was the right call when you looked at the replay (which the officials did....but shouldn;t have done).
2. when RT plays well, they win. when he does not, then they lose. HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY COME TO ANY CONCULSION OTHER THAN IT IS HIS FAULT THAT THEY HAVE STRUGGLED, AT TIMES, THIS YEAR. he was the preseason POY so it is reasonable to believe that he should be the best player on the team.
Faz - I don't remember Kennedy saying that, but I will watch the sequence again. I guess I just have a problem putting all the blame on a 21-year-old, when almost everyone on this team, and especially the head coach, has underachieved. And RT, even with his struggles, is the best player on this team, hands down.
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