Fairfield University 67, Rider University 65
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
LAWRENCEVILLE?The rule was instituted back in the mid 1970's. Rule 5, Section 6, Article 1 states that 'collegiate varsity games shall consist of two 20 minutes halves', or 40 minutes of regulation for all of the math majors. After giving up a 16-point lead midway through the second half, the Rider University women's basketball team may petition the NCAA for 35 minute games.
Despite 18 points from junior Tammy Meyers (Willingboro), the Broncs lost to Fairfield University on Friday night in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.
Senior Shireyll Moore broke a 63-63 tie, scoring a lay up with 1:44 left in the game, capping a 22-4 Stag run and Moore added a jumper with 64 seconds left giving Fairfield a four-point lead. Moore finished with nine points. Fairfield trailed 59-43 with 10 minutes left in the second half. Moore scored Fairfield's final seven points of the game.
“We got into a funk with about 10 minutes left and didn't score,” said head coach Lynn Milligan. "We knew that Fairfield wasn't going to quit. They just beat nationally ranked Marist and are in second place in the MAAC. We knew they weren't going to go away but we did a lot of this to ourselves by putting Fairfield on the foul line so many times.”
The Stags got to the line 17 times, making 14 with Rider attempting six free throws, making five. Fairfield was a perfect seven for seven from the line during the final run and shot nine for 13 from the field in the final 10 minutes.
The Broncs shot 23-43 from the field (54 percent) in the first 30 minutes before a two for nine stretch that also included six turnovers.
Rider (8-15, 5-7 MAAC) got to within two with 39.3 seconds left on a Meyers jumper and after holding the Stags to a missed layup and subsequent shot clock violation, the Broncs had a chance to win the game at the buzzer with a rushed three-pointer going wide.
“Fairfield did a nice job switching to the zone,” Milligan said. “We just didn't get very good shots against their zone defense. We didn't get the shots we wanted the last 10 minutes of the game.”
The Stags led 6-4 before the Broncs responded with an 8-0 run four minutes into the game, three points each by junior Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun) and sophomore Cintella Spotwood (Trenton/Trenton Central). Spotwood finished with 10 points and Sepulveda had 12.
Fairfield cut the Rider lead to 14-13 before the Broncs responded with a 20-6 run, six points by freshman Alyssa Parsons (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Wood), building a 34-19 lead with seven minutes left in the opening half and the Broncs led by 10 at half time 39-29. Parsons finished with six points in the game.
Also for Rider, senior Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, Md./West Lake) had 11 points to go along with five rebounds.
Freshman Sarah Homan (Upper Darby, Pa./Delco Christian) led the Broncs with seven rebounds.
Fairfield (15-8, 10-2 MAAC) was led by senior Baundu Lowenthal (Riverside) who scored 21 points.
The Broncs travel to Jersey City to face Saint Peter's in a MAAC game on Sunday at 2:00pm.
Rider faces the Stags again in Connecticut 17 days from now.
The Stags have defeated the Broncs 24 of 26 times including eight in a row. Rider last defeated Fairfield January 10, 2005 by a 75-72 score.
Fairfield has won seven in a row and broke Rider's two-game winning streak. With Marist (11-2 MAAC) losing to Canisius Friday night, the Stags are now one-half game out of first place with a 10-2 league record.
At 5-7 in the MAAC, both Rider and Saint Peter's are tied for sixth place, one-half game behind Iona which is 6-7 in league play. After playing on Sunday, the Peahens travel to Rider on February 21 for the re-match.
“We came out hot and didn't sustain for 40 minutes,” Milligan added. “We had a sustained effort for 35 and it's a 40 minute game. We have to build on the positives of the first 35 minutes and learn from the mistakes that we made at the end and we have to regroup very quickly to face a very difficult Saint Peter's team on Sunday.”
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