Photo Gallery

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Sophomores Mark Nwakamma and Nate Sikma combined for 32 points, but it wasn't enough for the University of Hartford men's basketball team on Tuesday evening as it fell short of capturing the program's first-ever postseason victory since making the jump to Division I 28-years ago. Rider University (19-14) clamped down in the final minutes to score the 63-54 win in the opening round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament at the Chase Family Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion.

Hartford (17-14) closed out the season with the second-most wins in program history, falling one shy of matching the school record set in 2007-08. The squad also finished above .500 for the first time in five years and just the sixth time in the school's Division I era.

Rider erased a one-point deficit and pulled away from Hartford using a 10-2 run to take a 57-50 advantage with 2:38 remaining. The Hawks managed to trim that gap back down to three with a jumper in the paint from Nwakamma followed by a pair of Evan Cooper free throws, but wouldn't come any closer.

With 47 seconds left, Sikma dribbled the ball off his leg and out of bounds, and, with less than 30 seconds remaining, he came up short on a three-point attempt. In the closing seconds, Rider extended its lead, making all four free throw attempts to prevent Hartford from making it a one possession game.

Nwakamma finished with 17 points and five rebounds, playing with five stitches above his eye after suffering an injury on a defensive play in the closing minutes of the first. Sikma added 15 points and five rebounds, while Wes Cole rounded out the top-scorers with eight points, making two three-pointers, Hartford's only shots from downtown on the evening.

It was a see-saw game that featured four ties and three lead changes. Rider led, 25-23, after 20 minutes and saw that lead grow to seven early in the second half, scoring five points on a single possession.

From there, the Hawks responded with a run of their own, receiving four points from Nwakamma to put together an 8-0 spurt and grab a 31-30 lead with 15:45 remaining. The Broncs shot 61.1 percent (11-of-18) from the field in the second half, though, as the two teams continued to trade blows.

Hartford led, 48-47, with 6:21 to go but that proved to be its final advantage as the Broncs closed out the game going 2-of-2 from the field and making all eight of their free throw attempts to push ahead and preserve the win.

Anthony Myles led Rider with 23 points while Jonathan Thompson added 16 for the Broncs, who are currently in their fourth postseason appearance in the last six seasons. Rider was the second-place team in the MAAC after posting wins in its final five regular season games.

Hartford loses just one starter from the 2013 roster as fifth-year John Peterson's eligibility has expired. Peterson joined the Hawks' roster after spending four seasons with the Samford Bulldogs. A veteran presence on the court, Peterson played in every game this season making 16 starts. In 17.8 minutes per game, he averaged 4.5 points and 2.2 rebounds.