Women's College Basketball
Manhattan College 71, Rider University 55
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
TRENTON?Despite 12 points and 11 rebounds from senior Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake), the Rider University women's basketball team lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Manhattan Friday evening at Trenton's Sovereign Bank Arena. “We played in spurts tonight,” said head coach Lynn Milligan. “We had some really good spurts and got back into the game and had a really bad spurt at the end that cost us the game.”
Parker scored her second ?double-double' in a row, seventh of the season and 16th of her career.
“It's February,” said Milligan. “Sometimes, you are tired and don't have your legs but everyone is in the same situation. There is no reason not to be ready to play. It is crunch time and every game matters. February is important and you need to gut it up for all 40 minutes.”
Trailing 57-43 with 6:40 remaining in the game, Rider (8-17, 5-9 MAAC) went on a 10-0 run, three points each by junior Stephanie Wisniewski (Levittown, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) and freshman Ali Heller (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews) to get within four with 4:34 left but that was as close as the Broncs could get. Wisniewski finished with seven points and five rebounds with Heller adding five points and three rebounds.
The Jaspers responded with a 10-0 run of their own taking a 67-53 lead with two minutes remaining to put the game out of reach.
“Manhattan scored in bunches,” Milligan said. “We struggled to score and that last run sealed the game for them. We weren't in sync tonight at all.”
Also for the Broncs, junior Tammy Meyers (Willingboro) had 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Tied at two, Manhattan (8-17, 5-9 MAAC) used a 16-5 run to open up an 11 point lead with 11 minutes remaining in the first half.
Rider responded with a 17-6 run to tie the game at 22 with four minutes left in the opening period. Tied at 24, Manhattan ended the first half on a 7-2 run, opening up a 31-26 lead at intermission.
The Broncs opened the second half on a 9-0 run, getting two points from four different players to open up their biggest lead of the game, 35-31 with 15:48 to go. The Jaspers then held Rider without a field goal for the next 2:30, going on a 7-0 run to re-take the lead, 40-37 with 13:09 left.
The game had four ties and three lead changes, two in the second half.
With the score 44-41 Jaspers, Manhattan went on a 13-2 run opening up its biggest lead of the night 57-43 with 6:40 left in the second half.
Each team attempted 62 field goals with Manhattan making 26 to Rider's 17. The Japsers made nine of 18 three-pointers, holding the Broncs to two of 18 shooting from long range.
Rider has lost three in a row and are tied with Manhattan for seventh place in the MAAC. All 10 teams qualify for the conference playoffs the first week of March in Albany, New York with the top six getting the benefit of missing the play-in games prior to the quarterfinals.
Manhattan holds a 21-7 series lead over Rider. The Broncs won at Manhattan 76-66 on January 11, 2009.
Rider hosts Niagara for a 2:00pm on Sunday. During the game, the Broncs will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day. “Niagara has lost twenty something in a row but that doesn't matter,” Milligan said. “They took second place Fairfield to double overtime last week and gave Manhattan all they could handle. We better be ready to play and we have to show up and give and effort.”
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