Women's College Basketball
Niagara University 58, Rider University 57
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
LAWRENCEVILLE?It is usually about how you finish. Today, it was how they started. Despite battling all the way back from a 19 point deficit, the Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Niagara Sunday afternoon. “Unfortunately, there are two halves to a basketball game,” said head coach Lynn Milligan. “I hope they come away with a strong taste of disgust in their stomachs knowing what they are capable of and understanding how important it is to focus at the beginning of games.”
With the score 58-57 Niagara (3-6, 1-1 MAAC) with 1:14 remaining, the Broncs had three chances to regain the lead but missed all three shots in the last minute including a jumper by senior Janele Henderson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin) at the buzzer. Henderson, the Broncs' leading scorer at 17.4 ppg., was held to nine points on three of 19 shooting in the game. “Teams have been doing a good job on Janele and she is starting to press a little bit,” Milligan said. “She has been our go to person, our work horse and she doesn't want to come out and we don't want to take her out.”
Down 49-38 with 8:15 remaining in the game, Rider (3-6, 0-2 MAAC) went on a 15-2 run, six points by sophomore Tammy Meyers (Willingboro) and five points by Henderson to take its first lead of the game 53-51 with 3:50 left in the contest. Meyers finished with a career-high 18 points and a career-high seven rebounds in 30 minutes of action.
The Purple Eagles responded with a 5-0 run to go up 56-53, the second and final lead change of the game.
“We had to use every ounce of energy to get back in the game,” Milligan said. “Tammy gave us a great lift. She has been struggling. She came out strong and is a work horse. She wants to make it happen every time and she got us back into the game. She got us going when we were in a little bit of a rut and got to the foul line when we needed points.”
Down 13, Rider started the second half on a 9-0 run, holding the Purple Eagles scoreless for the first seven minutes of the second half to get within four at 40-36 and the Bronc defense held the Purple Eagles to three points in the first 10 minutes. Niagara scored only 18 points including six field goals for the period. “I was happy with our defense in the second half,” Milligan said. “If you hold a team to 18 points in a half, you should win the game.”
Also for Rider, sophomore Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun School) had 10 points with fellow sophomore Ashley Anderson (East Orange) tying a career-high with 10 rebounds in only 22 minutes of action. Freshman Shannon Ferguson (Fort Washington, Pa./Upper Dublin) had five points, seven rebounds and two steals for the Broncs. “Ashley gave us terrific minutes and did everything we asked her to do and that was to hustle and rebound,” Milligan added. In foul trouble most of the game, Rider's leading rebounder (10.1 rpg.) junior Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake) was held to four rebounds and six points before fouling out with 3:23 remaining, playing a season-low 17 minutes. Parker entered the game averaging 29 minutes per game for Rider.
Niagara roared out to a 17-3 lead six minutes into the game and extended its lead to a game-high 19 at 28-9 with 8:40 left in the first half. The Broncs cut the Purple Eagle lead to 10 at 30-20 with an 11-2 run, five points (all free throws) by Meyers and Niagara led 40-27 at the half. Meyers finished 10 for 12 from the free throw line and the Broncs were 28-36 from the charity stripe. “I was happy that we got to the foul line after getting only 14 attempts on Friday,” Milligan said. “We were much more aggressive and didn't fall into the trap of chucking three's like we did against Canisius.” The Broncs attempted 30 three-point field goals against the Golden Griffins.
Niagara snapped a six-game losing streak and the Broncs have lost four straight.
The Purple Eagles lead the overall series 15-9 and have won three straight against Rider.
The Broncs host the United States Military Academy (Army) in a non-conference on Wednesday at 7:00pm in Alumni Gym on the Lawrenceville campus.
“We're going to get back in the gym and correct this,” Milligan said refering to the back to back shooting percentages in the twenty percent range. “When everyone is shooting well, you feed off each other and when everyone is struggling, you start to press a little and we just need to focus on the next game and getting a better start and take it from there.”
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