Women's College Basketball
Rider University 56, Niagara University 40
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
LAWRENCEVILLE?It was all about the X's and O's for the Rider University women's basketball team on Sunday afternoon. The Broncs scored 40 first half points, 12 points by junior Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun) and held Niagara to 32 percent shooting and 14 field goals in a 16 point win against Niagara University in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.
“Overall, it is February and you have to grind out wins against anyone,” said head coach Lynn Milligan. “You have to rely on defense and rebounding to win. February is a grind it out month and while the win is important, a win with a solid defensive effort is more important.”
A simplistic plan right off the chalk board, defense and rebounding, the X and O staple of a Milligan team.
“Defensively we did a good job,” said Sepulveda. “It was important to start a win streak because we have three tough games coming up.”
This marks Rider's best defensive effort since allowing 41 points to Niagara during the 1998-99 season in a 73-41 win. “It was a very good defensive effort,” Milligan added. “We were focused on our defense and our rebounding and we were successful in both areas. That's the effort you need in February games to win.”
The game was Rider's annual celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day with over 1,200 fans packing Alumni Gym for the action.
Also for the Broncs, junior Tammy Meyers (Willingboro) had her fourth career ?double-double' and third of the season with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
“We really focused on our defense,” Meyers said. “Our coaches emphasized that point and that effort won us the game. On the offensive end, I just worked to get everyone involved.” Meyers also had a career-high five steals in 36 minutes played.
Trailing 2-0, Rider (9-17, 6-9 MAAC) scored the next 10 in a row, five by Sepulveda, opening up an eight point lead five minutes into the game. “We got out of the gate well,” said Milligan. “We wanted to throw the first punch and we did that.”
Leading 14-8, the Broncs went on another 10-0 run, five points by sophomore Cintella Spotwood (Trenton/Trenton Central) to take a 24-8 lead with 8:14 left in the opening half. Spotwood finished with eight points and tied career-highs with nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Rider went on a 12-2 run to end the first half, opening up a 23 point lead, 40-17 at intermission on the strength of four points each by Meyers and Sepulveda.
Niagara (1-25, 0-15 MAAC) started the second half on a 6-0 run, cutting Rider's lead to 17 before a 9-2 Bronc run, four points by junior Stephanie Wisniewski (Levittown, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) gave Rider its biggest lead of the game 49-25 with 14:17 left. Wisniewski finished with eight points and six rebounds.
“We had some issues with Niagara's zone in the second half but I think it was more of a confidence thing,” said Milligan. “We need better spacing and that will allow us not to have to rush a three at the end of the shot clock.”
The Purple Eagles held the Broncs scoreless for the next eight minutes but could only manage six points of their own as Rider maintained its double-digit lead throughout the second half.
“It got a little sloppy for about 8-10 minutes for both teams,” Milligan said. “We kind of rode it out and we need to learn not to plateau but be ready to throw that next punch.”
Rider breaks a three-game losing streak and Niagara has now lost 22 straight.
“This win was big for us,” Meyers added. “We have three tough regular season games left and all three beat us the first time. This is a confidence boost going into the final three games.”
“Anytime you get a win, it is a good win,” said Milligan. “Our defensive effort, or the lack of, got us on that skid and we took steps to correct that effort today.”
Rider held a 46-28 advantage on the boards, 18-8 on the offensive glass. The Broncs had 14 assists on 19 made baskets. “Our made field goals to assists ratio was very good,” Milligan said.
The Broncs sweep the season series for only the second time in their 12 seasons in the MAAC and overall have won three in a row against the Purple Eagles. Rider won at Niagara 72-59 on January 30. The Broncs have won 12 of the 27 meetings in the series. “If we see Niagara again in the first round of the playoffs, today will definitely help us,” Milligan said.
Rider's nine victories tops its win total from last season (eight) with three regular season and at least one playoff game remaining.
“People on the outside world look at numbers,” Milligan said. “The more important number for us is how we end up in the MAAC. We've doubled our conference win total (six in 2008-09, three in 2007-08) and that is something that we were lacking, the ability to win in the league and we've taken steps to correct that. We're not satisfied but we are going in the right direction.”
The Broncs host Saint Peter's Saturday as part of a women's and men's doubleheader in Alumni Gym starting at 1:00pm and Rider will honor their three graduating seniors prior to the game, Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake), Maura Gillooly (Fanwood/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) and Danielle Costantino (Norristown, Pa./Archbishop Carroll).
“The seniors have been a really big help to the program,” Sepulveda said. “Maura has been a great vocal leader and motivator. Danielle also and Shaunice is a big part of this team. They have left their mark in making the program better and helping to turn things around.”
“Playing on our home floor and celebrating senior day will be to our advantage,” Milligan said. “We'll have four or five days to correct the things that didn't go right when we played at Saint Peter's last week. They are a very good basketball team and present a unique set of match up problems.”
The Rider men host Maryland-Baltimore County as part of the ESPNU Bracketbusters at 4:00pm with the doubleheader part of Rider's 'Pink Zone' effort to raise money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer.
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