Women's College Basketball
Rider University 72, Niagara University 59
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y.?The Rider University women's basketball team broke a two-game losing streak with a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win at Niagara on Friday night. “We knew we needed a big effort to break our two-game slide,” said head coach Lynn Milligan. “It's tough to win on the road in the MAAC and tonight we answered the challenge.”
For the Broncs, senior Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake) had 15 points on seven for seven shooting. “Shaunice took very good shots tonight,” Milligan said. “She got to the rim very well and made good decisions.”
“We played team basketball,” Parker said. “No one tried to force anything and we worked to find the open person.”
Rider (7-14, 4-6 MAAC) opened the game, scoring nine of the first 11 points, four of those points by Parker.
Trailing 13-7, Niagara (1-20, 0-10 MAAC) responded with an 8-2 run to get within 15-14 with 12 minutes left in the first half.
Leading 17-16, Rider went on a 10-1 run, five points by junior Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun), giving the Broncs a 10 point lead seven minutes before the half. Sepulveda finished with eight points with a career-high seven assists while adding five rebounds. “Amanda did a nice job of recognizing mismatches,” said Milligan. “She put her teammates in the right position to be successful.”
The Purple Eagles tied the game at 32 with 44 seconds left in the first half on the strength of a 15-5 run before sophomore Cintella Spotwood (Trenton/Trenton Central) hit a three to give Rider a 35-32 lead at half time.
Spotwood opened the second half with two more three-pointers and a Parker layup gave the Broncs a 10 point lead, 43-33 with 17:39 left in the game. Spotwood finished with 14, including four for five from beyond the arc.
“Every shot Cintella made tonight was a big shot,” Milligan said about Spotwood's three three-pointers in a row. “They came at big times and she shot the ball with confidence. Cintella is maturing and is working hard and being aggressive.”
“Niagara left me open a few times and I just took the shots,” Spotwood said. “I have confidence in my shot and we needed the basket because they had just tied the game.”
Rider opened up a 19 point lead at 57-38 with a 14-5 run, four points each by freshman Sarah Homan (Upper Darby, Pa./Delco Christian) and Parker with the Bronc defense holding the Purple Eagles without a field goal for almost five minutes midway through the second half. Homan finished with seven points and three rebounds.
Niagara cut a 26-point deficit down to 13 with a late 14-1 run to end the game.
Also for the Broncs, junior Tammy Meyers (Willingboro) had 13 points and six assists with junior Stephanie Wisniewski (Levittown, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) coming off the bench to finish two off her career-high with 11 points while pulling down a team-high seven rebounds in 21 minutes.
Rider shot 52 percent from the field, its highest field goal percentage of the season. The Broncs out-rebounded Niagara 42-32. “Tonight was some of the best basketball we've played all season,” Milligan added. “We sustained our effort pretty much throughout the second half and that's what we needed to do to win the game.”
The Purple Eagles have lost 18 straight games.
This was the 26th meeting between Rider and Niagara with the Broncs winning for the 11th time. The teams will play again in 17 days on February 15 in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.
Rider stays in Western, New York for a 2:00pm MAAC game at Canisius on Sunday. The Broncs lost to the Golden Griffins nine days ago 71-59.
“We played a good game against Canisius but made some crucial mistakes,” Milligan said. “We have made some adjustments but we know it will take a great, great effort on Sunday to sweep the trip.”
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