LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- The University of Delaware men’s basketball team was down by as many as 16 points and still trailed Rider by eight points with a minute and a half remaining before mounting a furious rally, but the Blue Hens fell just short as the Broncs held on for a 76-71 victory Saturday afternoon at Alumni Gymnasium.

Rider, which improved to 1-1 on the season, led by as many as 16 points four times in the second half, the final time at 62-46 with 8:04 remaining, and was still up 70-59 when Harris Mansell nailed a jumper at the 3:18 mark. However the Blue Hens, who fell to 0-2, got two free throws from Edwin Santiago and one from Brian Johnson to close within 70-62 with 2:56 left.

It was still an eight-point game with 1:30 remaining after Lamar Johnson hit one free throw for the Broncs, but Brian Johnson ignited the UD run with a pair of free throws with 1:24 to play. Herb Courtney added a layup with 1:02 to go to cut the lead to four, and after Lamar Johnson missed a layup, Blue Hen freshman Marco Cooper converted a three-point play to make it a 72-71 game with 52 seconds left.

Delaware had a chance to take the lead after Jason Thompson hit one of two free throws with 26 seconds left to put Rider up two, but D.J. Boney’s three-pointer with 18 seconds left would not fall, and Mansell pulled down the rebound for the Broncs and hit two free throws to make it a two-possession game. After a missed three-pointer by Courtney, Jason Thompson added a free throw with three seconds on the clock to account for the final margin.

Thompson posted game-highs of 23 points and 21 rebounds for the Broncs, who defeated Delaware for the third straight season and for the sixth time in the last seven meetings. Delaware, which dropped to 1-12 in its last 13 non-conference road games, has now lost seven consecutive games in Lawrenceville since an 86-84 victory over the Broncs on January 25, 1990.

Sam McMahon scored a team-best 16 points for the Blue Hens as he reached double figures for the 11th straight game, while Brian Johnson added 13 points and a team-high seven assists. Alphonso Dawson posted 12 points and six assists for Delaware while Courtney scored 10 points, all in the second half, and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.

Mansell scored 16 points while Johnson added 14 for the Broncs, who held a 47-37 rebounding advantage and shot 51.8 percent from the field.

The game remained close early on, and the Blue Hens were within 20-19 at the 10:29 mark after a jumper by Edwin Santiago. However the Broncs answered with an 8-0 run, taking a 28-19 advantage after a dunk by Joel Green with 7:27 remaining in the half.

Rider still led by nine at 30-21 after the teams traded baskets, but the Blue Hens scored five of the final six points of the half on a jumper by Johnson and a three-pointer by McMahon, pulling within 31-26 at the half.

A jumper by McMahon got the Hens to within 38-32 with 17:31 left in the game, but Rider answered with seven consecutive points to take a 45-32 advantage with 16:12 left on a three-pointer by Green. The Broncs went up by 16 at 55-39 at the 10:22 mark and still led 62-46 with 8:04 remaining, but D.J. Boney drained a three-pointer with 5:10 remaining and Santiago added a free throw at the 4:39 mark to make it a 63-57 game. Rider then appeared to put the game away by scoring six of the next eight points before the Blue Hens’ late comeback.

“Our guys were able to play well late in the game and really showed what they are capable of,” Delaware head coach Monté Ross said. “They are young and are going to make a few mistakes, but we just have to minimize them.”

Delaware will be off the next week and a half before hosting Hampton University on November 27 at 7 p.m.in the Blue Hens’ home opener.

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