January 6, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Women's College Basketball
Iona College 67, Rider University 58
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.?Despite a game-high 13 points from senior Janele Henderson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin), the Rider University women's basketball team lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Iona Sunday afternoon. “I don't think we took a step back today,” said head coach Lynn Milligan. “We certainly didn't take a step forward and that's what is disappointing.”
Henderson played all 40 minutes, adding five rebound and three steals for the Broncs. “Janele does what she does,” Milligan said. “We can't ask her to do too much more and give us anymore than she is.”
Sophomore Tammy Meyers (Willingboro) had 11 points and three steals with sophomore Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun School) scoring 10 points for Rider.
Iona led 51-22 with 13 minutes left in the game before Rider (5-9, 0-3 MAAC) cut the lead to seven with a 32-10 run to trail 61-54 with 1:39 left. The seven point deficit was as close as the Broncs would get. “We had some kids play a lot better in the second half but we had some kids struggle,” Milligan said. “Some of them are starting to second guess some of their abilities and we have a couple of days to get that worked out. We'll work hard this week to get ourselves back on track.”
With the score tied at two, Iona (8-6, 2-1 MAAC) scored the next 12 points to lead 14-2 with 13:45 left in the first half.
“We know that we will struggle on offense at times,” Milligan said. “We combat that by having a strong rebounding effort and playing solid defense and we didn't do either today.”
Iona caused 26 Rider turnovers and had 13 steals in the game. “We came out on our heels again today,” Milligan said. “and it cost us again.”
The Broncs got to within four at 16-12, four points by junior Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake) before Iona went on a 16-0 run and the Gaels led 35-14 at the half. Parker finished with six points.
“I am extremely disappointed in the effort, especially in the first half,” Milligan added. “Especially in the last four minutes of the half, to go down 21 heading into the locker room, that is unacceptable. It's a MAAC game and we worked so hard to gain respect back for the program and then we get into the league and it's like their minds went backwards. It's something that we have to continue to work on. We are young, we only have one senior and we are still working on getting the players adjusted into our system.”
The Gaels have defeated Rider six straight times and lead the overall series 15-9.
This was Rider's eighth single-digit loss in nine games this season and the Broncs have lost two straight overall.
The Broncs host Saint Peter's on Friday at 7:00pm in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.
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