Women's College Basketball
Rider University 67, Loyola University Maryland 61
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
LAWRENCEVILLE--Behind 16 points and 14 rebounds from junior Caitlin Bopp (Baltimore, Md./Inst. of Notre Dame), the Rider University women's basketball team defeated Loyola Maryland 67-61 on Monday afternoon in Alumni Gymnasium.
"Today was a typical MAAC game," said head coach Lynn Milligan. "It was intense for the entire 40 minutes. Both teams played extremely hard and left it all out there. It was a terrific game with two teams just battling."
Bopp was seven for nine from the field in 29 minutes of play and recorded her 17th career 'double-double' and second of the season. In five career games against Loyola, Bopp is averaging 11.6 points and 11.8 rebounds per contest and has three 'double-doubles' against the 'Hounds.
"I was getting my shots off in the first half," said Bopp who started her first game in almost two months after missing five games due to injury and opened the contest five for five from the field, scoring 12 points in the opening 20 minutes. "Coach reminded me that they were going to start double teaming me in the second half so I focused on kicking the ball back out and my teammates made some clutch shots."
Rider jumped out to a 17-5 lead in the first nine minutes, eight points by Bopp.
Senior Ali Heller (Boca Raton, Fla./St. Andrews) made a three-point field goal to give Rider its biggest lead of the game, 23-10, with 7:24 left in the first half. Heller finished with 16 points, making four three-pointers in 29 minutes off the bench.
Loyola out-scored Rider 8-0 over the final 4:13 of the first half, four points Miriam McKenzie, to cut the Bronc lead to 30-26 at intermission. McKenzie led Loyola with 21 points in 39 minutes of play.
Loyola's Nicole Krusen made a three-pointer to cut the Rider lead to 43-42 mid-way through the second half before Rider went on an 9-2 run, four points by junior Sironda Chambers (Newark, Del.), to take a 52-44 lead with 7:33 left to play. Chambers finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists before fouling out with 2:35 left.
Trailing 60-51, Loyola (5-10, 1-3 MAAC) out-scored Rider 6-0, four points by Katie Sheahin, to cut the lead to 60-57 with 2:09 left to play. Sheahin finished with 19 points for the 'Hounds.
Trailing 62-57, Loyola's Kara Marshall made back-to-back lay-ups to cut the lead to 62-61 with 36.7 seconds remaining, but that was as close as the Greyhounds could get. Loyola never led in the contest.
"It was huge that we never lost the lead," Milligan said. "That is a step for us, a positive one and we found a way to get the win. Good teams find a way to win close games and we are working to become one of those good teams."
"It's a matter of not giving up," Bopp said about the team learning to win close games. "We could have easily let Loyola take over the game, especially when they made their run at the end of the first half and we didn't. We came out strong in the second half and kept playing hard."
Rider made five of six foul shots in the final 31 seconds, three by senior Alyssa Parsons (Ivyland, Pa./Archbishop Wood), to preserve the victory. Parsons finished with five points, six assists (one off a career-high) and a steal in 34 minutes.
"Alyssa did what you expect from a senior in clutch free throw situations, she made them," Milligan said. "Overall it was a really solid game for our team."
Rider entered play shooting 71 percent from the charity stripe and made nine of 13 free throws for the game.
Also for Rider (10-5, 2-2 MAAC) sophomore MyNeshia McKenzie (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Delco)) had 11 points, five rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block in 23 minutes off the bench. McKenzie entered the week leading the MAAC and 15th in the nation averaging 10.6 rebounds per game.
"Mac is a terrific player," said Milligan. "We gave her a bit of a different role today, coming in off the bench and she responded by making some clutch shots."
Rider's bench out-scored the 'Hounds reserves 27-6.
Junior Carleigh Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) added seven points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 21 minutes for Rider.
Both teams shot over 50 percent from the field in the second half with the Broncs out-shooting Loyola for the game 46 percent to 44 percent.
Rider out-rebounded Loyola 36-30, 13-10 on the offensive glass and the Bronc defense caused 20 'Hound turnovers. The Broncs had a 14-7 advantage in second-chance points.
Over 500 fans were on hand for the special noon time start as part of the NCAA Kid's Day Out initiative.
Started several seasons ago, Kid's Day Out is designed to expose elementary and middle school students to collegiate campuses around the nation with workshops and seminars centered around a women's basketball game.
"Kid's Day is a great event," said Milligan. "Karin Torchia and her crew do a fantastic job getting kids to come to the games and support us. When the gym is loud and you have momentum, it is definitely an easier atmosphere to play in."
Today was the 38th meeting between the teams with Rider winning for the ninth time. Loyola entered play having defeated the Broncs four straight times.
The teams meet again in Baltimore, Maryland February 4.
This is Rider's best start since opening 11-4 during the 1993-94 season. Rider last had 10 wins when the Broncs finished 10-20 in 2008-09.
Rider travels to Iona for a MAAC game Friday afternoon at noon.
"This was a big win with the Iona game coming up," Milligan added. "The first week of the conference schedule was brutal for everyone with four games and to emerge at .500 (2-2) is big for us, especially heading on the road."
-RU-
