LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking to escape the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference cellar will meet Sunday when the Rider Broncs host the Niagara Purple Eagles at Alumni Gymnasium. The matchup features struggling squads, with Niagara entering at 7-20 overall and Rider at 3-23. Despite the records, both teams have shown recent flashes of competitiveness, setting the stage for a league battle where any victory is crucial. Niagara aims to rebound from a 63-76 road loss at Mount Saint Mary’s on Friday. In that game, Josiah Sabino scored 14 points in 33 minutes, while Brian Griffith added 13 points. The Purple Eagles had won two of their previous three games prior to that defeat, including a 70-68 home victory over Iona on Feb. 15. Rider looks to snap a five-game skid following a 66-72 home loss to Canisius on Friday. Flash Burton led the Broncs with 22 points in that contest. Rider’s last win was an 81-78 upset of Saint Peter’s on Feb. 1, a game in which Burton poured in 25 points. A key individual duel will feature Niagara’s Sabino against Rider’s Burton. Sabino has been a consistent contributor, posting a 19-point game against Sacred Heart on Jan. 24 and a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double in the same contest. Burton has been a high-volume scorer for the Broncs, exceeding 20 points in four of his last eight games, including a 25-point, six-rebound effort in the win over Saint Peter’s. The teams last met during the 2024-25 season, with Rider sweeping the two-game series. This will be their first matchup of the current campaign. Following this game, Niagara will host Quinnipiac on Feb. 27. Rider will begin a two-game road trip at Iona on the same date. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. EST Sunday at Alumni Gymnasium on the campus of Rider University.