Women's College Basketball
Marist College 81, Rider University 65
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.--The Rider University women's basketball team opened conference play with a loss to five-time defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion Marist College Sunday afternoon at the McCann Center.
For Rider (0-12, 0-1 MAAC), junior Ali Heller (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews) had 12 points, going four for four from three-point range.
"Ali is a terrific shooter," said head coach Lynn Milligan about her junior guard who entered play 26th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage. "If we can get her open and she gets her feet set, she is one of the better shooters in the conference."
Trailing 11-6, junior Sarah Homan (Upper Darby, Pa./Delco Christian) scored four straight points, bringing the Broncs within one at 11-10 with 14:48 left in the opening half. Homan finished with her second career 'double-double', scoring 10 points while pulling down 10 rebounds.
"Sarah did a much better job today, especially getting to the foul line," Milligan said about Homan's 11 trips to the charity stripe. "That was a step in the right direction for her."
After a 6-0 Marist run, six points by Heller sparked a 9-2 Rider run to tie the game at 19 with 9:23 left in the first half.
Leading 26-24, the Red Foxes went on a 10-0 run to lead 36-24 with 4:53 left before the half.
Two free throws by Homan cut the Red Fox lead to eight (39-31) with 1:10 left before Marist (10-2, 1-0 MAAC) ended the period on a 5-0 run including a half court shot at the buzzer and Marist led 44-31 at intermission.
After the Red Foxes scored the first five points of the second half, sophomore Dior Brown (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) hit a three-pointer to bring Rider to within 15 (49-34) with 17:53 left. D. Brown finished with five points and five rebounds.
The Red Foxes then used an 8-0 run to put the game away as the Broncs opened the second half shooting 1 for 11 from the field.
"That's where Marist beat us today," Milligan said about the second half start. "Their transition offense got them some really good looks, especially during that stretch because overall, I thought our defense was pretty solid."
Also for the Broncs, sophomore Shereen Lightbourne (Elmsford, N.Y./Alexander Hamilton) had nine points with freshman MyNeshia McKenzie (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Delco)) adding eight points and nine rebounds.
MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Erica Allenspach led the Red Foxes with 21 points.
Rider out-rebounded the Red Foxes 44-37 with the Broncs holding a 17-10 advantage on the offensive glass.
Averaging less than 48 points a game, the 65 points was Rider's highest offensive output of the season.
Former Northeast Conference rivals, Marist and Rider have now met 43 times with the Red Foxes winning 30 including 15 straight over the Broncs.
The teams meet again on January 28 at 7pm in Alumni Gym.
Rider has lost 12 in a row and 16 straight dating back to last season. Rider had won nine of 13 MAAC openers entering play.
Coming off its longest road trip of the season (four games), Rider hosts Loyola University Maryland in a MAAC game on January 4 at 7pm in Lawrenceville. "Loyola has three terrific guards that can score anytime down the floor," Milligan said about the Greyhounds. "Our perimeter defense is really going to have to be on point."
Loyola defeated Manhattan in Riverdale, New York 78-61 on Sunday.
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