Women's College Basketball
Binghamton University 66, Rider University 53
LAWRENCEVILLE--Despite a 'double-double' from sophomore Caitlin Bopp (Baltimore, Md./Inst. of Notre Dame), the Rider University women's basketball team lost a non-conference game to Binghamton University Saturday afternoon.
"We need to play more consistent," said head coach Lynn Milligan. "We need to all be moving, as a group in the same direction at the same time. We need to collectively get on the same page. We can't be tentative and afraid to make a mistake."
Bopp, a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference preseason Third Team honoree, had 16 points and 12 rebounds, four on the offensive glass to go along with two blocks in 32 minutes of play for her 11th career 'double-double'.
"Caitlin is that 'X' factor for us," Milligan said. "When she started getting some baskets inside, it picked everyone up and the team started feeling better about what they were able to do and that got us going in the right direction. Overall, she looked good today and got herself on track."
Trailing 62-42 with 2:47 left in the game, Rider (0-3) went on an 8-0 run, two points each by junior Ali Heller (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews), sophomore Dior Brown (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby), junior Aisha Varnadore (Eastampton/Rancocas Valley) and freshman MyNeshia McKenzie (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Delco)) to cut the Bearcat lead to 12 (62-50) but that was as close as the Broncs would get.
"We have to find a way to start the game as strong as we finished it," Milligan said. "Overall, we did not respond well to Binghamton's athleticism and box out from the perimeter. With a younger team, there is a little bit of a feat to make mistakes and when we got down, that fear kind of went away a little and we just played and that's what we have to do for 40 minutes."
Heller had 10 points off the bench for the Broncs, logging 25 minutes with McKenzie adding five points in 22 minutes as a starter.
"I think we stopped our own runs," Milligan said. "We would get it going, then put them on the line or give up a transition basket. We have to learn from that and get better at the things that are hurting us."
Tied at two one minute into the game, Binghamton (2-1) went on a 16-0 run, opening up a 16-point lead nine minutes into the game.
"We spotted Binghamton 16 points at the start of the game because we weren't ready," Milligan said. "That is something we need to do a better job of as a group."
Rider responded with a 7-0 run, five points by Heller to get within 18-9 at the 7:16 mark before the Bearcats used an 8-0 run to lead 26-9 four minutes before the half.
Trailing 32-12, Rider scored the last eight points of the first half, three points by freshman Senada Mehmedovic (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) making the score 32-20 Binghamton at intermission.
Mehmedovic had a team-high four assists in the contest.
The Bearcats out-rebounded Rider 42-38 with the Broncs holding a 15-14 advantage on the offensive glass.
The teams combined for 48 turnovers. "We tried to force some things inside to Bopp and our guards have to realize that they need to be able to score from the perimeter to open up those opportunities," Milligan added.
This was the first meeting between Binghamton and Rider in women's basketball.
"We want to play teams like Binghamton to prepare us for the MAAC," said Milligan. "They (Binghamton) have some quality players and are a really solid program."
Rider hosts the University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday at 7pm in Alumni Gym on the Lawrenceville campus.
"We are going to try to carry that final three minutes over to the Penn game on Tuesday," Milligan added. "There is a lot of fight in this group and they are not going to back down. Unfortunately, we also have some uncertainty as well and we have to work to lessen that pressure that we are putting on ourselves."
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