Women's College Basketball
Siena College 58, Rider University 48
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
LAWRENCEVILLE-The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Siena Friday on ESPNU TV.
Siena (10-16, 8-9 MAAC) senior guard Allie Lindemann led all scorers with 20 points. The Saints broke open a 45-42 game with a 10-5 run, four points by Lindemann, to take a 55-47 lead with 51 seconds left to play.
"We did a decent job defending them," said head coach Lynn Milligan. "We had a couple of breakdowns defending them and breakdowns are very important in a close game like that."
Rider (4-24, 2-15 MAAC) senior Amanda Sepulveda (Perth Amboy/Hun) cut the lead to 45-42 with a three-pointer with 3:34 remaining but that was as close as the Broncs could get. Sepulveda made a three-pointer to cut the lead to 52-45 with 1:31 left.
Playing in her final home game, Sepulveda finished with 14 points and six rebounds.
"We played together tonight," Sepulveda said. "We stuck together and we tried to fight to come back and we just weren't hitting shots. We just have to get into the gym and start making more shots. We just didn't hit shots and defensively we would stop them for twenty five seconds and we just didn't grab all of the boards that we needed to."
"I was happy with our game plan," Milligan said. "Our intensity was good on the defensive end and I was pleased with the way that we ran the floor and the way that we executed offensively. I think we got some really good shots and we just have to make a couple more."
Rider sophomore Sarah Homan (Upper Darby, Pa./Delco Christian) added 10 points and eight rebounds.
Siena led 27-24 at the half on 12 points by Lindemann.
Trailing 19-13, Rider went on an 8-1 run, six points by Sepulveda, to take a 21-20 lead with 4:35 left in the first half.
Siena jumped out to a 10-5 lead, six points by Lindemann, and the Saints led 17-12 mid-way through the first half.
Rider junior Cintella Spotwood (Trenton/Trenton Central) added eight points and five rebounds and freshman Dior Brown (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) added six points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Rider lost 57-43 at Siena on January 24.
This was the 28th meeting between Rider and Siena and the Saints lead the all-time series 24-4.
The Broncs play the regular season finale at Iona (16-12, 12-5 MAAC) Sunday afternoon. The Gaels lost to 2010 regular season champion and defending conference champ Marist Friday night 82-80.
"We are going to have to have a solid game plan for Iona," Milligan said about the second place Gaels. "They are going to be a tough game for us. They are in second place in the league and are a solid team with a solid post player. They have two seniors in the post and one on the perimeter who all do an excellent job for them. We are going to have to try to limit the touches of their players inside."
"We need to have fun and to play off one another," Sepulveda said. "We need to attack them and to play team defense. They are a really good team and have a lot of good weapons and we know
Rider honored its seniors prior to the nationally televised game, Sepulveda, Melissa Kowalczyk (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown) and Stephanie Wisniewski (Levittown, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie).
"They are a great, great group," Milligan said about the class of 2010. They were here when I got here and have done but everything that I have asked of them to do. Amanda has been playing basically 40 minutes for me for three years now and she is just a warrior and has done an amazing job for us. Steph and Melissa have been leaders and they work hard every day and they are a big part of what we are trying to do here and where we are trying to go. It is something that our younger kids have to follow and remember."
The Broncs begin the MAAC tournament Thursday in Albany at noon.
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