Women's College Basketball
Loyola University Maryland 68, Rider University 65
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
LAWRENCEVILLE--Freshman Caitlin Bopp (Baltimore, Md./Inst. of Notre Dame) had her eighth 'double-double', with 15 points and 14 rebounds (seven offensive) and senior Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun) also had 15 points (while playing all 40 minutes) as the Rider University women's basketball team lost 68-65 to Loyola University Maryland on Sunday afternoon in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.
"This is a tough one," said head coach Lynn Milligan after the Broncs came back from 11 points down, once in each half. "We came out with energy. After the 45 point loss at Marist on Friday night, we challenged our kids at practice yesterday and in today's game to do what had to be done to keep ourselves on track and where our priorities are to be a successful program."
Trailing 51-40 with 11:19 left in the game, Rider (3-22, 1-13 MAAC) went on a 13-4 run, five points by Sepulveda, getting to within 55-53 with 4:30 remaining in regulation.
Meredith Tolley hit a clutch three-pointer, her only three points of the game to give the 'Hounds a five-point lead, 58-53 with four minutes left.
Junior Cintella Spotwood (Trenton/Trenton Central) got the Broncs within two again, hitting her second three-pointer of the game at the 3:52 mark before Loyola's Kaitlin Grant hit a lay up with three minutes left. Spotwood had 12 points for Rider and Grant finished with 13 points for the 'Hounds.
Leading 60-58 with three minutes left, the Greyhounds scored the next four points, opening up a six-point lead and hit six of seven free throws down the stretch with Sepulveda hitting a three-pointer at the buzzer for the final score.
"We kept fighting back," Milligan said about Loyola leading the entire game. "We never really got over the hump today. They jumped on us early and we battled back. They jumped on us again and we battled back."
Bopp, a four-time MAAC Rookie of the Week honoree, played 31 minutes after missing two games (February 6 and 8) and playing only 19 minutes Friday night due to a nagging back injury.
"She is a warrior," said Milligan. "She is not at a hundred percent by any means and she is just doing anything to help this team win."
In two career games against the Greyhounds, Bopp, a Baltimore native, is averaging 17.0 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
Loyola (11-13, 6-7 MAAC) jumped out to a 6-0 lead to start the game, four points by Erica DiClemente. DiClemente finished with 13 points, four rebounds and four assists.
After Bopp cut the 'Hound lead to two (14-12) on a three-point play, Loyola responded with a 6-0 run, five points by Katie Sheahin who finished with nine points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Leading 22-17, the 'Hounds opened up their biggest lead of the game, 28-17 with a 6-0 run.
Rider closed the opening half on a 7-0 run, three points by sophomore Ali Heller (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews) and the Broncs went into intermission trailing 30-26 on an offensive rebound and put back by senior Stephanie Wisniewski (Levittown, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) at the buzzer. Heller finished with three points with Wisniewski scoring two points and pulling down three rebounds.
"I am proud of the effort of the young ladies," Milligan added. "It is a game that we were very prepared for, both mentally and physically. We came up a little bit short and we let down a little bit during stretches in the first half where we know we could have done a better job."
Also for Rider, sophomore Sarah Homan (Upper Darby, Pa./Delco Christian), a MAAC All-Rookie selection last season, had 11 points (on five for six shooting), three rebounds and three blocks in 15 minutes off the bench with Sepulveda adding eight rebounds and freshman Carleigh Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) compiled six rebounds and a career-high five assists in 27 minutes of play.
"That is what Sarah is capable of," Milligan said about Homan who has 26 points and 17 rebounds in her last three games. "For her to do that today, especially with the way that she played on Friday night (one point, four rebounds at Marist), she needed to come out and do that today and prove to everyone and to herself that she has that in her. She did a great job."
Loyola was led by Miriam McKenzie who had 18 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.
The Broncs out-rebounded Loyola 49-33 including 18-5 on the offensive glass but the 'Hounds forced 17 turnovers (including five in the final four minutes of the game) and had 10 steals.
"We know the exact breakdown in certain plays that they ran that ended up being a little bit of a difference in the game when you look at the final score," Milligan added.
Loyola shot 56 percent in the second half and 47 percent for the game to 37 percent for Rider.
This was the 35th meeting between Rider and Loyola and the 'Hounds have won 27 times including 10 of the last 11. Loyola won in Baltimore 64-50 on January 8. Last season, the two teams split the season series with each squad winning at home.
The Broncs have lost four straight.
Rider celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day during the game and over 1,300 fans packed Alumni Gymnasium as part of Rider's participation in the NCAA Pack the House Challenge.
The Broncs host Saint Peter's Friday night in a MAAC game at 7pm. During the evening, the Broncs and Peahens will wear pink warm ups and shoe laces and Rider will be accepting donations as part of its annual participation in the WBCA Pink Zone event to raise money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer.
"We are going to have to be execution happy with our offense on Friday night," Milligan said about the upcoming game on February 19. "Bopp didn't play the last time that we played Saint Peter's (55-38 loss on January 5) so that is obviously going to be a little bit of help for us. It will be a change and a way of attacking them more inside. We have got to maintain our composure. They are a very quick athletic team. They can press you and go into zone and change things up. It is going to come down to us making shots and more importantly, we have to get some bigger stops on defense."
Saint Peter's (10-14, 6-7 MAAC) hosts Niagara on Monday at 5pm on MAAC-TV.
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