GAME NOTES: The Iona Gaels hope to avoid their third loss in a row as they host the Rider Broncs for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference matchup at the Hynes Athletic Center.

Rider defeated Siena, 80-68, in its conference opener on Sunday to improve to 4-5 overall. The Broncs have now won two games in a row following a four-game losing streak. Now in his third season at the helm of the program, coach Kevin Baggett owns a 22-17 record in MAAC play. The Broncs are ranked fifth in the league in scoring offense (64.1 ppg), but are just seventh among MAAC schools in scoring defense with an allowance of 68 ppg.

After dropping a 94-77 decision at Arkansas a week earlier, the Gaels came up short in their MAAC opener at Monmouth. Iona dropped to 4-3 overall with a 92-89 loss to the Hawks. Iona has finished with at least 20 wins in every season during fifth-year head coach Tim Cluess' tenure, including a 22-11 overall record and 17-3 performance in conference play last season. Cluess' uptempo style of play resembles the run-and-gun style of former NBA head coach Mike D'Antoni and the results are undeniable. Iona is ranked sixth nationally in points per game (86.6) and its average of 12.4 makes from beyond the arc per tilt is the second most among Division I schools.

Junior guard Teddy Okereafor led the Broncs against Siena with 28 points and eight rebounds, but also committed six of the team's 21 turnovers. Rider also received 12 points and five assists courtesy of Lehigh graduate transfer Anthony D'Orazio, while sophomore guard Zedric Sadler chipped in 11 points off the bench. Okereafor is leading Rider in scoring (11.3 ppg), assists (2.8 apg) and steals (1.8 spg). Senior center Matt Lopez has also made a solid impact for the Broncs, with 10.9 ppg on 62.7 percent efficiency from the floor and a team-high 4.8 rpg. The seven-footer previously played for La Salle in 2011-12 and Utah State in 2012-13.

The Gaels are led by junior guard A.J. English, who ranks first in the nation in scoring with 26 ppg, which he is accompanying with 5.3 apg and 4.9 rpg. English tallied 31 points and eight boards in the loss to Monmouth as he clocked 40 minutes for the second straight outing. Schadrac Casimir accounted for 29 points thanks to an 8-of-15 clip from 3-point range versus the Hawks, while David Laury recorded 13 points and seven rebounds. Laury, the lone forward in the four-guard starting lineup, averages 16.6 points and 7.4 rebounds. Casimir (16.3 ppg) and Isaiah Williams (13.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.3 apg) have both made strong contributions for the high-scoring Iona offense.

This will be the 55th meeting in history between Rider and Iona. The Gaels own a 31-24 all-time series lead after defeating the Broncs three times last season, including a 94-71 rout in the MAAC playoffs.

Iona's return home should be enough to help it turn things around. The Gaels have enough offensive firepower to compete with anyone in the nation, although their defensive intensity will need to improve. However, during their MAAC slate, the Gaels will hold the upperhand more often than not. Rider will need to figure out a way to slow the pace down to frustrate Iona to have a chance of stealing one on the road.