Women's College Basketball
Rider University 53, Mount St. Mary's 44
EMMITSBURG, Md.--After winning only five games all of last season, the Rider University women's basketball team won its fifth game in a row and posted its eighth win of the season, defeating Mount St. Mary's on Thursday night at Knott Arena in Maryland.
"We're obviously happy with the defensive effort tonight," said head coach Lynn Milligan. "The team did a good job sticking to the game plan."
Junior Sironda Chambers (Newark, Del./Harcum College) led Rider with 15 points, 11 in the opening half.
"Our defense kept us in the game," said Chambers. "I was hot early and it was important because we struggled on offense in the first half but it was really the defensive effort by everyone that won us the game."
"Sironda held us together in the first half, making some tough drives to the basket," Milligan said. "She kept the offense going in the opening 20 minutes."
Leading 25-23 early in the second half, Rider (8-3) went on a 10-2 run, three points each by senior Alyssa Parsons (Ivyland, Pa./Archbishop Wood) and senior Ali Heller (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews) as the Broncs increased their lead to 10 (35-25) with 12:27 remaining in the game. Parsons finished with nine points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals in 34 minutes with Heller chipping in with five points.
"My teammates help me to get rebounds, assists and points," Parsons said. "All in all, we are playing really well as a team and tonight was another big step for us."
"Alyssa did what you need a senior to do," Milligan said. "She did a bit of everything, scored, got to the line and dished the ball. She made a couple of steals and it was just a solid workman like effort. When the team isn't playing as well as you would like on the offensive end, Alyssa's leadership really showed by making other things happen."
After the Mount (5-6) cut Rider's lead to 39-34, a three-pointer by freshman Emily Fazzini (Wayne, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) put the Broncs ahead by eight (42-34) with 6:38 left. Fazzini finished with seven points and three steals in 30 minutes.
Trailing by 10 with 1:47 left, the Mount cut Rider's lead to five (49-44) with 54 seconds remaining before Chambers and Parsons each made two free throws to clinch the game.
The opening seven minutes saw a back and forth battle as the teams played to an eight all tie with 12:45 left in the opening half.
A layup by senior Sarah Homan (Upper Darby, Pa./Delco Christian) and a free throw from Heller put Rider ahead 11-8 before the Mount tied the game on a three-pointer by Jessie Kaufman, the fifth tie of the opening half. Homan, playing her 100th career game, finished with six points, three rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Kaufman led the Mount with 12 points.
Rider responded with a 5-0 run, three points by Parsons as the Broncs went ahead 16-11 with 9:05 left in the first period.
The teams traded baskets before Chambers hit a three-pointer, putting Rider ahead 21-16 with 3:45 left in the first half and the Broncs led 23-19 at intermission.
"We got some stops and then they would stop us, they would score and we would answer," Milligan said. "For most of the night, it was a back and forth game and all of the shots we did make wound up being big shots, especially the timing of them."
Sophomore MyNeshia McKenzie (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Delco)) led the Broncs with 10 rebounds and added four points. The Mount out-rebounded Rider 44-43.
Also for the Broncs, junior Carleigh Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) had five points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes.
Both teams struggled from the field with Rider out-shooting the Mount 31 percent to 29 percent.
Both teams attempted 20 free throws with Rider making 12.
Mount St. Mary's has won 16 of the 21 games all-time in the series however Rider has won the last two in a row. Former Northeast Conference rivals, the teams last met December 18, 2004 when Rider won 70-57 in Lawrenceville. This was Rider's first win in 14 tries in Emmitsburg.
This is Rider's longest winning streak since the 1993-94 season when the Broncs won seven straight.
Rider finished December 5-1, its only loss on the road to 20th ranked Georgetown 58-51 on December 4.
This is the best 11-game start for the Broncs since the 1982-83 season when Rider also opened 8-3.
"What we have accomplished is nice, I'm happy for the team," Milligan said. "With that said, we are still taking things one day, one practice and one game at a time. Every team is 0-0 in the conference. The 18-game MAAC schedule begins next week and we are really focused on opening conference play on a positive note."
This was the first home loss of the 2011-12 season for the Mount. The Broncs improved to 4-2 on the road.
Mount St. Mary's has lost two straight.
This marks the fourth time this season and 12th time under Milligan that Rider has held an opponent below 50 points.
Rider begins conference play with a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Manhattan on January 2 at 5pm.
"Manhattan is coming off a good season last year and they are going to be tough on Monday night," said Milligan. "We are going to have to work hard to be ready for a tough road matchup."
"Being 8-3 is a confidence booster," Parsons added. "Playing well heading into the conference schedule I think will help us. We can't forget the work we did to get to where we are but we also have to remember that conference play starts 0-0 and we have to work just as hard or even harder to keep this going."
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