Women's College Basketball
Iona College 64, Rider University 50
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.--The Rider University women's basketball team lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game against Iona at the Hynes Athletics Center Friday afternoon.
"You have to credit Iona's defense," said head coach Lynn Milligan. "They did a good job and we just didn't make some shots we should have."
Sophomore MyNeshia McKenzie (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Delco)) led Rider (10-6, 2-3 MAAC) with 14 points, shooting seven for nine from the field in 30 minutes off the bench.
Junior Caitlin Bopp (Baltimore, Md./Inst. of Notre Dame) scored a layup giving Rider an early 2-0 lead before the Gaels went on a 6-0 run. Bopp finished with six points and 10 rebounds, her second straight double-digit rebounding effort.
Freshman Emily Fazzini (Wayne, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) scored a layup to cut the Gael lead to 6-4 before Iona (7-9, 3-2 MAAC) used a 7-2 run to open up a 13-6 lead 5:33 into the contest. Fazzini finished with 11 points and six rebounds.
Trailing 15-8, Rider went on a 4-0 run, two points each by Fazzini and junior Sironda Chambers (Newark, Del.) as the Broncs cut the Gael lead to three, midway through the opening half. Chambers had nine points, four rebounds and six assists in 33 minutes.
Iona responded with a 10-3 run as the Gaels opened up a 10-point lead (25-15) with 6:54 left before halftime and Iona led 33-23 at intermission.
With Rider trailing 44-30, senior Ali Heller (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews) was fouled on a three-pointer and made all three from the charity stripe as the Broncs cut the Gael lead to 11 with 11:05 left in the game. Heller finished with four points, all from the free throw line before leaving with an injury with two minutes left in the game.
Trailing 46-33, Rider went on a 7-0 run, three points by Fazzini as the Broncs cut the deficit to six points (46-40) with 8:24 left but that was as close as Rider could get.
"I thought we made some good adjustments in the second half on the defensive end," Milligan said. "Iona made some clutch shots late and we didn't make enough shots in the game."
Both teams struggled from the field with the Broncs being held to 30 percent shooting while the Gales shot 37 percent.
"We got some good touches and just didn't make them," Milligan said. "We made some nice moves on the perimeter to get good high percentage shots and just missed them. I'm fine with the shots that we are getting, we just have to make them."
Iona went 15 for 18 from the free throw, compared to seven for 10 for the Broncs.
Iona out-rebounded Rider 45-44.
The Gaels were led by 18 points and 13 rebounds from Tomica Bacic and 17 points from Damika Martinez.
"Bacic is a great player and a senior who knows what it takes to win in this league," said Milligan. "Our post players did not do a good job boxing her out and gave her way too many second chance opportunities. Martinez is also a great player and a young kid who can hurt you in a lot of different ways. She is going to be a special player in the league."
This was the 32nd game between Rider and Iona with the Gaels winning for the 20th time. The teams split two games in 2011-12 with Rider winning in Lawrenceville 93-87 in double overtime. Iona has won five of the last eight in the series. The teams meet again in Lawrenceville on February 17, 2012.
Rider hosts Saint Peter's on Sunday at 2pm in Alumni Gymnasium.
"Saint Peter's is a solid defensive team," Milligan added about the upcoming game on Sunday. "We are going to work at practice on Saturday to put our players into situations where they have more of an opportunity to be successful."
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