Norville S. ‘Banana’ Carey had 10 points and 10 rebounds, his third double double of the season, but the Rider University men’s basketball team lost at North Carolina State, 99-71, on Wednesday December 28, 2016. Photo: Provided

Norville S. ‘Banana’ Carey is one of the main players for Rider University men’s basketball team. Photo: Provided

With the loss, the Broncs fall to 8-5, while the Wolfpack improves to 11-2. 

Stevie Jordan scored a team-high 14 points and dished out five assists, Carey (Virgin Islands/Red Lion Christian [Southern Miss]) added his third double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Xavier Lundy (Paulsboro, NJ/Paulsboro) chipped in with 12 points. Kahlil Thomas (Parkway, FL/Blanche Ely) added nine points and three steals, while Jimmie Taylor (Branford, FL/Suwannee) had eight points. 

Six NC State players finished in double figures, led by Dennis Smith Jr, with 19 points to go along with 16 assists. Omer Yurtseven added 16 points, while Torin Dorn had 13. Abdul-Malik Abu, Terry Henderson and Maverick Rowan scored 12 points apiece, with Abu also adding 12 rebounds for a double-double. For the game, the Wolfpack outshot the Broncs, 55.6 percent (40-72) to 37.3 percent (28-75) from the floor. 

“We got our behinds handed to us by those guys,” said Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett. “I thought they played well and we did not play well. Too many turnovers. Too many empty baskets. I thought they did a good job getting after us and give those guys credit. They played well tonight.”

Broncs fall behind early

The Broncs scored the game’s first four points on a Taylor three and 1-of-2 free throws from Jordan, before the Wolfpack reeled off nine of the next 11 points to pull ahead, 9-6, four minutes in and never trailed again. After Rider whittled the lead to one, 11-10, the Wolfpack scored 11 of the next 13 points to surge ahead by double-digits. Smith scored four points in the stretch. 

The lead continued to swell to as many as 17 points, 32-15, on consecutive buckets from Beejay Anya and Dorn before the four-minute mark of the first half. The Broncs whittled the lead to 15 on a goaltending call on a Durham attempt with 14 seconds left in the half. 

Thomas led the Broncs with seven points and three steals in the first half, while Carey added four points and seven rebounds. Abu led NC State with 10 points and eight rebounds, while Smith added nine points, including seven after he picked up his second foul at the 11:24 mark. Smith also dished out eight first-half assists. The Wolfpack outshot the Broncs, 50.0 percent (17-34) to 23.7 percent (9-38) from the floor in the period. 

The Wolfpack’s lead reached 21 on a Henderson lay-up at the 14:28 mark and the closest the Broncs could get the rest of the way was to within 16. NC State’s lead grew as large at 34 points, 95-61, before the Broncs scored 10 of the final 14 points to account for the 99-71 final score.

The Broncs return to league action Saturday when they travel to Monmouth.