Women's College Basketball
La Salle University 55, Rider University 54
LAWRENCEVILLE--Freshman Caitlin Bopp (Baltimore, Md./Institute of Notre Dame) had a 'double-double' with career-high 12 points and tied a career-high with 15 rebounds but it wasn't enough as a three-pointer at the buzzer by senior Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun) was no good, allowing La Salle to escape Alumni Gym with a 55-54 win over Rider University Sunday afternoon.
The game saw five ties and 12 lead changes.
"We ran what we wanted to do," said head coach Lynn Milligan. "Our last option was Amanda coming off the high screen and I'll take that look any day. I'm proud of the players for how hard they fought and defended and followed the game plan."
"Caitlin is a tough kid," Milligan said about her freshman center who was six for nine from the floor and now has three games with 15 rebounds in her young career. "Her offense is starting to catch up with her defense and that is going to be a dangerous combination for our opponents. She works hard and the results on the court are a by product of what she is doing in practice. She gets after it every day."
Trailing 36-31 with 11:36 left in the game, Rider (2-8) went on an 8-1 run, three points by Sepulveda as the Broncs took a 39-37 lead with 9:33 left. Sepulveda finished with eight points, three rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes of play.
Trailing 42-41 at the 7:52 mark, senior Stephanie Wisniewski (Levittown, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) hit a lay up and Sepulveda hit two free throws to give Rider its biggest lead of the game, 45-42 with 7:11 left in regulation. In 12 minutes of play, Wisniewski had 11 points off the bench and was a perfect four for four from the field.
"This is back to back games where Steph has been terrific," Milligan said. "Our guards did a great job getting the ball inside. Steph is a senior captain who knows her role and what I expect from her. The past two games, she has not only led her teammates but has produced on the floor as well. Having a senior post player in the mix when you start two freshmen in the post is that much more important to our success."
La Salle (3-7) responded with a 6-0 run to take a 48-45 lead with 5:54 left.
Trailing 50-48, Wisniewski hit two free throws and Bopp hit a lay up as Rider went ahead 52-50 with 2:58 remaining. Tara Lapetina hit a three-pointer with 1:55 left to the Explorers a 53-52 lead, the 12th and final lead change of the game. Lapetina was one of three La Salle players with nine points.
Freshman Carleigh Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) hit a lay up with 53 seconds left and the Broncs forced a missed shot and a turnover by La Salle to setup the final play. C. Brown had a career-high 10 points (on four for six shooting) and added seven rebounds, four steals, three assists and a block in 25 minutes.
"Carleigh is an intangible kind of player," said Milligan. "She gives you energy and is a lunch pail type of player. She not only understands what we are looking for but why we are looking for certain things. She plays relentless and wants to win and will do anything for us to do so."
La Salle opened the game on a 5-0 run. Trailing 25-17, Rider cut the Explorer lead to 25-23 with a 6-0 run, two points each by C. Brown, Bopp and junior Cintella Spotwood (Trenton/Trenton Central). Spotwood finished with four points. Lapetina hit a three-pointer for La Salle with 49 seconds left in the opening half and the Explorers went into the locker room leading 28-23.
Rider out-rebounded the Explorers 35-31 but La Salle held an 11-6 edge on the offensive glass.
The Broncs came in averaging 23 turnovers a game and cut that number to 18 against the Explorers. "We've been working hard on not having empty possessions," Milligan said. "Our goal is to at least get the shot off every time and we were better but we still had a few empty possessions at crucial times late in the game." 20 of La Salle's 55 points came off a Bronc turnover.
La Salle finished with 18 assists on 20 made baskets.
Rider shot its second highest percentage of the season (46.7) making 21 field goals. The Broncs held La Salle to 35.1 percent (20-57).
The Explorers defeated Rider 63-47 last season in Philadelphia (December 21, 2008 at Tom Gola Arena) and have won all eight games in the series. The teams last met in Alumni Gym on December 2, 2006 when La Salle won 88-76.
Rider went 2-0 last season in one-point games, winning at Fairleigh Dickinson 65-64 in overtime and at Canisius 56-55. Rider and La Salle have played one other one-point game with the Explorers winning 75-74 on January 10, 1983, also in Alumni Gym.
The Broncs travel to Syracuse on December 28 at 7:00pm for the final non-conference game of the season. The Orange are undefeated (9-0) and are ranked 22nd in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll. "Playing a top 25 team is going to be a big challenge," Milligan added. "The Carrier Dome is a tough place to play. They are a good, well coached and skilled team. We are going to have to be ready to shoot the ball and defend an athletic team."
Rider begins play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference January 3, 2010 at Manhattan.
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