Rider University 76, Manhattan College 66
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
RIVERDALE, N.Y.?Junior Tammy Meyers (Willingboro) led four Broncs in double-digits with 21 points as the Rider University women's basketball team broke an 11 game losing streak with a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win at Manhattan Sunday afternoon. “We've been sticking with the process and we've been making progress the past several games,” said head coach Lynn Milligan. “It is a credit to the kids to stick with what we were doing and how hard they were working and not get discouraged.”
Leading 69-66 with 3:13 left, Rider (3-12, 1-4 MAAC) ended the game on a 7-0 run, three points by Meyers for the 76-66 final.
Meyers, Rider's leading free-throw shooter, made 11 of 14 from the charity stripe. “We've had success when I've gotten to the line so I just made up my mind to drive and attack the basket. Manhattan couldn't stop me coming off the screen and coach Milligan was calling all the right plays.”
“Tammy was in ?attack mode' today,” Milligan said. “We need her to play with a scorer's mentality. Tammy came up big with some key baskets and you can't overlook her defensive effort as well. She is matched up with the other teams scorer and that's a tough assignment each game.”
“We stayed together,” Meyers said. “Today, we just finished and put out a 40 minute effort. It got tense at times but we didn't fold and pulled out the win.”
Also for the Broncs, junior Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun) had 18 points and five assists with sophomore Cintella Spotwood (Trenton/Trenton Central) tying a career-high with 11 points to go along with six rebounds.
“This was Amanda's best floor game of the year,” Milligan said. “She put her teammates into successful situations and made good decisions on when to attack and when to execute the offense. Today was an outstanding job by her.”
“We played strong on defense,” Sepulveda said. “We held Manhattan to a low score and kept going at them. We focused on getting stops and we knew that we would be successful on the offensive end. I was able to transition into some open looks and I was more confident in my shot.”
“Cintella also made good decisions today,” Milligan added. “We've needed that in the guard position and the spots that Amanda [Sepulveda] put her in allowed Cintella to score. Cintella, when she keeps it simple will be very successful.”
Tied at four two minutes into the game, Rider (3-12, 1-4 MAAC) went on a 7-0 run, three points by freshman Sarah Homan to take an early 11-4 lead.
Homan, the MAAC Rookie of the Week last week, had six points, five rebounds and two blocks in only 13 minutes of action.
Tied at 17, the Broncs used a 6-0 run, four points by Meyers to take a six point lead with 9:04 left in the opening period.
After the Jaspers got to within three, Rider used a 21-8 run, scoring the final seven points of the half to take a 46-30 lead into the locker room. Junior Ashley Anderson (East Orange) had eight of Rider's 21 points in the run and finished with 10 points in the game on five for seven shooting.
“Ashley brings us a lot of energy off the bench,” said Milligan. “She is doing a great job on the offensive glass of going back up and finishing. She has accepted her role and is flourishing in it. She works hard on the block and gives us solid defense.”
Manhattan opened the second half scoring 20 of the first 29 points cutting the Bronc lead to 55-50 with 11:45 left before Rider responded with a 6-0 run, four points by Meyers to bring its lead back to 11 with nine minutes remaining.
A 10-2 run by the Jaspers made the score 63-60 with five minutes remaining but that was as close as the Jaspers could get.
“For us to play with a 16 point lead, we aren't used to that,” Milligan said. “That was my concern at halftime that we were in unchartered waters. It was big for us that we never relinquished the lead and when we needed a bucket, we executed our offense probably better than we have all year.”
Bronc senior Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake) led all-rebounders with 10 and moved into fourth place all-time at Rider with 677 rebounds. Parker passed Carolyn Cook who pulled down 671 boards from 1982-1985.
Manhattan has won 20 of the 27 games in the series and had won seven in a row over the Broncs entering the game.
Rider's last win over Manhattan was also in Draddy Gym, on January 27, 2005 by a 49-48 score. The two teams play again on February 13, 2009 at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey.
The Broncs shot a season-high 49 percent from the field including 61 percent in the first half and out-rebounded the Jaspers 35-29.
Rider hosts Pennsylvania on Tuesday night in the final non-conference game of the regular season.
“We're excited to be back home after three in a row on the road,” said Milligan. “Penn is a team that beat us last season so it is a revenge game for us. The last couple of games, we've started to see a good rhythm, not that one win gets you there but in the last few games, you are starting to see some things and some of the players have gotten into a little bit of a stride so it will be good to get right back on the court Tuesday night.”
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