Women's College Basketball
Rider University 66, Binghamton University 56
VESTAL, N.Y.-Senior Ali Heller (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews) came off the bench and scored a game-high 24 points, as the Rider University women's basketball team rallied for a come from behind 66-56 win at Binghamton University Saturday afternoon.
Heller, one of the top three-point shooting threats in the nation, made five from long-distance to lead the Broncs to their third straight win.
"We had great bench play," said head coach Lynn Milligan about the 38 bench points compiled outside the starting five. "Ali stepped up, we had Caitlin (Bopp) back and she stepped up as well. It was just a good solid effort by the whole team, a good all around effort. This was an outstanding win on the road."
"Things are coming together for us," Heller said. "There is more cohesiveness. "We don't know who is going to be hot from one game to the next and it is great having so many different players who can step up."
Trailing 40-37, Rider (6-3) went on a 16-0 run, six points by Heller, putting the Broncs ahead 53-40 with 7:05 left in the game.
The Bearcats cut the Bronc lead to nine late in the contest however Rider made five of six free throws in the final 1:37 to clinch the game. Overall, Rider shot 82 percent (nine for 11) from the charity stripe.
Rider led 33-28 before Andrea Holmes scored all eight points in Binghamton's 8-0 run as the Bearcats took a 36-33 lead with 13:31 left. Holmes led the Bearcats with 18 points.
Trailing 21-19, Rider opened the second half on a 7-0 run, four points by sophomore MyNeshia McKenzie (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Delco)) and three points by senior Alyssa Parsons (Ivyland, Pa./Archbishop Wood), giving the Broncs a 26-21 lead with 18:19 left in the game.
"We came out kind of slow and got things going in the second half," said Heller. "Coach challenged us and we refocused on what we had to do in the final 20 minutes."
"The first half, we didn't look ready, it was really kind of a 'blah' effort and we felt fortunate to only be down 21-19," Milligan said. "We played solid defense the whole game and that really kept us in it with the way we started."
McKenzie, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week for all games last week, finished with 11 points, five rebounds, a career-high five steals along with two assists and two blocks before fouling out. Parsons finished with seven points and six assists, one off a career-high.
Freshman Emily Fazzini (Wayne, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) scored the first two points of the game before Binghamton responded with a 10-0 run, putting the Bearcats ahead 10-2 with 14:08 left in the opening half. Fazzini, the MAAC Rookie of the Week last week, finished with eight points and three rebounds.
Rider responded with a 6-0 run, three points by Heller, as the Broncs got to within two points (10-8) at the 12 minute media timeout.
Binghamton responded with its own 6-0 run before the Broncs used an 11-5 run, six points by Heller to narrow the Bearcat lead to 21-19 at intermission. Heller had nine points in the opening 20 minutes.
Rider had a season-high nine blocks in the game, seven in the first half, led by three from junior Carleigh Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy). Brown also had seven rebounds (three on the offensive glass) in the contest.
The game saw the return of junior Caitlin Bopp (Baltimore, Md./Inst. of Notre Dame) who had missed the prior five games with a foot injury. Bopp finished with six points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes. Bopp's 506 rebounds are 12th best on Rider's career rebound list.
"We have a better understanding of who needs the ball and when they need it," Milligan said. "You have to play the 'hot hand' and it's fun to watch when you don't have to rely on just one person and everyone gets involved."
Rider tied a season-low, committing only 11 turnovers.
Binghamton held a 42-40 advantage on the glass. Rider out-shot the Bearcats 40 percent to 33 percent.
Binghamton defeated Rider 66-53 last season in Lawrenceville, the only other meeting between the two teams in women's basketball.
With six wins in its first nine games, Rider has already surpassed its win total from last season. This is Rider's best start to a season since opening 6-3 to start the 2002-03 campaign.
"Each game is a step in the process," Milligan said. "It is nice, especially for the seniors to see the fruits of their labor. The team is seeing that when we do things the 'Rider way' starting with a solid defense effort, you see positive results."
Rider hosts Fairleigh Dickinson University Thursday, December 22 at 7pm in Alumni Gymnasium.
"FDU beat us last season (77-50) so it is another 'revenge' game for us," Heller added. "They have a similar style to Binghamton so we'll use what we learned today as a tune up to get ready for Thursday."
"We're happy to be home and in front of our fans again," Milligan said about the Broncs last home game having taken place December 6. "FDU is a really strong team, they are very long, athletic and quick. They are going to challenge us on both ends of the floor."
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