Women's College Basketball
Marist College 82 Rider University 56
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
LAWRENCEVILLE--Despite 10 points and 11 rebounds from sophomore MyNeshia McKenzie (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Delco)) and 18 points and nine rebounds from junior Caitlin Bopp (Baltimore, Md./Inst. of Notre Dame), the Rider University women's basketball team lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to six-time defending conference champion Marist College on Saturday afternoon in Alumni Gymnasium.
"Caitlin has worked herself back from injury," said head coach Lynn Milligan about her 6-2 center that finished one point off a career-high. "She does a great job on the block and works hard to get herself open. She is also a strong rebounder and had five offensive rebounds today. You saw a lot of what she is capable of doing today, against a pretty good Marist team. She rebounded tough and got to the line."
Marist (8-6, 3-0 MAAC) jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the opening 1:39 of the game.
Trailing 10-2, Rider (9-5, 1-2 MAAC) responded with an 18-2 run, five points each by junior transfer Sironda Chambers (Newark, Del./Harcum College) and senior Ali Heller (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews) as the Broncs took an 18-10 lead with 11:40 left in the opening half.
Chambers, making her 14th straight start, finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes with Heller adding five points and two rebounds.
"Sironda is a tough, tough kid," Milligan said. "She flies under the radar but is very steady and solid. She doesn't try to do too much and really lets the game come to her and doesn't force the issue. She has done a nice job."
After a 6-0 Red Fox run cut the Bronc lead down to two, Chambers hit a three-pointer giving Rider a 21-16 lead midway through the first half.
Trailing 31-25, Marist scored 15 of the last 16 points in the first half and the Red Foxes led 40-32 at intermission.
"We had some breakdowns and Marist hit some open threes," Milligan said about the swing at the end of the first half that gave the Red Foxes the lead. "If you make mistakes like that (turnovers) against Marist, they will make you pay for it. We needed to limit our mistakes more than we did today."
The Red Foxes attempted 18 three-pointers, making eight in the game.
Marist out-shot the Broncs 45 percent to 29 percent and scored 28 points off 22 Rider turnovers.
A 10-2 run by the Red Foxes to start the second half put the game out of reach as Marist opened up a 50-34 margin with 17:16 left in the game.
"Marist is deep and they just keep coming after you," Milligan said. "Everyone on the floor is capable of scoring for them and it is difficult to focus on just one player when they are making their reads and cuts."
Marist finished with 17 assists on 27 made baskets.
Leading 72-54, Marist ended the game on a 10-2 run for the final score.
McKenzie, the Rider Female Athlete of the Month for December and the MAAC Player of the Week (December 5-11), now has 12 'double-doubles' in her career and seven this season including two in a row. McKenzie is averaging a 'double-double' (11.3 points, 10.6 rebounds) this season and she leads the MAAC and is 22nd in the nation in rebounding.
Marist was led by 19 points off the bench from Kristina Danella and 18 points from MAAC preseason Player of the Year Corielle Yarde.
"Corielle is a terrific player," Milligan said. "She did a good job."
The Broncs out rebounded Marist 44-36 including 20-12 on the offensive glass.
Former Northeast Conference rivals, Rider and Marist have now met 45 times with the Red Foxes winning 32 times including the last 17 in a row.
The teams meet in Poughkeepsie, New York on January 18.
Rider hosts Loyola Maryland on Monday at noon in Alumni Gym as part of the NCAA Kid's Day Out initiative.
"Loyola has two all-conference guards and they are going to be tough," Milligan said. "Our defense is going to have to play a lot better on Monday."
-RU-
