Women's College Basketball
Manhattan College 57 Rider University 36
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
LAWRENCEVILLE--The Rider University women's basketball team lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Manhattan College Sunday afternoon in Alumni Gymnasium.
"Manhattan plays their 1-3-1 zone as good as anyone you will see," said head coach Lynn Milligan. "I don't think we helped ourselves with the turnovers."
Leading 27-25, Manhattan went on a 21-2 run, 11 points by Monica Roeder as the Jaspers opened up a 48-27 lead with 7:26 left in the game. Roeder finished with 21 points, making five from three-point distance.
"Our defensive effort was there," Milligan said. "I'm bothered that we gave up 10 three-pointers and our offensive struggles continue. We need to find a way to put more points on the board."
Manhattan (13-12, 7-6 MAAC) opened the game on a 15-2 run in the first 6:47 as Rider started the game one for eight from the field with four turnovers.
Trailing 15-2, Rider 10-15, 2-12 MAAC) went on a 4-0 run, all four points by junior Caitlin Bopp (Baltimore, Md./Inst. of Notre Dame) as the Broncs cut the Jasper lead to nine with 12:24 left in the opening half. Bopp finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals in 26 minutes.
Bronc freshman Emily Fazzini (Wayne, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) and senior Alyssa Parsons (Ivyland, Pa./Archbishop Wood) hit back to back three-pointers, cutting the Jasper lead to five (19-14) with 4:05 left in the first half. Fazzini, who had a career-high 22 points against Canisius Friday night, finished with five points on two of 13 shooting.
Rider senior Sarah Homan (Upper Darby, Pa./Delco Christian) made a layup, bringing the Broncs to within 21-16 with 2:30 left in the opening half and Homan made a free throw with 11.6 seconds left in the period as Rider trailed 24-19 at intermission. Homan had three points.
Bopp hit an eight-foot jumper to get Rider to within two (27-25) with 17:58 left in the game.
Manhattan out-shot Rider 40 percent to 34 percent. Rider held a 38-28 advantage on the glass.
Rider committed 26 turnovers, leading to 26 Manhattan points.
Also for the Broncs, sophomore MyNeshia McKenzie (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Delco)) had nine points and nine rebounds.
Rider has lost 10 straight.
Manhattan swept the season series, having won 59-45 in Riverdale, N.Y. on January 2 and the Jaspers lead the all-time series 26-8. The Jaspers have won four straight over Rider.
Over 700 fans were in attendance as Rider celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The Rider Department of Athletics and the 10 women's sports sponsored a two-hour clinic prior to the game with the women's basketball team signing autographs for the clinic participants after the game.
The Broncs host Iona College in a MAAC game on Friday, February 17 at 7pm in Alumni Gym. The game against the Gaels will be 'Play 4 Kay' as the Broncs raise donations and awareness for breast cancer research.
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