Women's College Basketball
Saint Peter's College 55, Rider University 38
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
JERSEY CITY--Senior Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun) had 12 points, all from three-point range but the Rider University women's basketball team could not overcome 27 turnovers, losing at Saint Peter's 55-38 on Tuesday night in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.
"We've had the same issue the last couple of games," said head coach Lynn Milligan. "You are not going to win many games turning the ball over and missing that many open shots."
The loss is the fourth in a row for the 2-11 (0-2 MAAC) Broncs.
Leading 26-20 at intermission, the Peahens opened the second half on a 7-0 run, holding Rider without a point for over four minutes before freshman Carleigh Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) scored a layup to make it 33-22. Brown finished with three points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Rider got to within eight on a free throw by freshman Shereen Lightbourne (Elmsford, N.Y./Alexander Hamilton) with 11:37 left but that was as close as the Broncs would get as the Peahens responded with a 9-0 run to put the game away.
"We didn't give ourselves enough chances on the offensive end," Milligan said. "You have almost as many turnovers as points, you aren't going to win games doing that. You can say that injuries are the reason and we are playing young players but the bottom line is that we have to make better decisions."
Rider played without two-time MAAC Rookie of the Week Caitlin Bopp and sophomores Shannon Ferguson and Alyssa Parsons due to injury.
Trailing 4-0, Rider tied the game with a field goal and two free throws from senior Stephanie Wisniewski (Levittown, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie). Wisniewski had seven points in 25 minutes off the bench.
Three-pointers by Sepulveda and freshman Dior Brown (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) sparked the Broncs to a 6-0 run, turning an 8-7 deficit into a 13-8 lead eight minutes into the game. Dior Brown had five points and four steals in 24 minutes of play.
Trailing 13-8, Saint Peter's went on a 10-0 run taking an 18-13 lead with 5:37 remaining before the half.
"We broke Saint Peter's full court press fine," Milligan added. "It was in the half court that we struggled."
This was the 45th meeting between the two schools with Saint Peter's winning 38 times including the last 10 in a row.
Rider travels to Baltimore, Maryland, taking on Loyola University on Friday at 11:30am in a MAAC game.
"Loyola is a very good basketball team," said Milligan. "They have a lot of players back from last year and we will get back to work and we'll be ready for a tough challenge on Friday."
Loyola (1-1 MAAC) lost 60-57 at Fairfield Tuesday night. The 'Hounds opened MAAC play with a 71-59 win at Iona on January 3.
The Broncs return home on Monday, January 11 against defending conference champion Marist at 7:00pm in Alumni Gym on the Lawrenceville, New Jersey campus.
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