Women's College Basketball
Fairfield University 51, Rider University 35
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
BRIDGEPORT, Conn.--The Rider University women's basketball team lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Fairfield at Webster Bank Arena Thursday evening.
Trailing 42-21, Rider (10-12, 2-9 MAAC) went on a 7-2 run, three points by junior Caitlin Bopp (Baltimore, Md./Inst. of Notre Dame) as the Broncs cut the Stag lead to 16 with 7:03 left but that was as close as Rider would get until the final score. Bopp had nine points and 14 rebounds (eight on the offensive glass) for the Broncs.
"We are a team looking for our offensive identity right now," said head coach Lynn Milligan. "The defensive effort was ok, we just missed some open looks."
Bopp now has 597 career rebounds, moving into ninth place all-time at Rider, passing Jennifer Feeney who had 590 boards from 1992-95.
Rider took a 2-0 lead two minutes into the game on free throws by freshman Emily Fazzini (Wayne, Pa. (Archbishop Carroll). Fazzini finished with two points, going 0-8 from the field.
Trailing 3-2, Fairfield (17-5, 10-1 MAAC) scored eight of the next nine points, three points each by Katie Cizynski and Katelyn Linney as the Stags opened up a 10-4 lead 5:43 into the contest. Linney finished with six points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal with Cizynski compiling nine points before fouling out.
Leading 12-6, the Stags scored four straight before Bopp hit a layup 11 minutes into the game. Rider began the game 2-14 from the field.
Leading 16-9, the Stags used an 8-0 run, four points by Taryn Johnson to open up their largest lead of the opening half, 24-9 with 7:12 left. Johnson led the Stags with 16 points while compiling nine rebounds, five blocks and three steals.
Back to back baskets by senior Sarah Homan (Upper Darby, Pa./Delco Christian) cut the Stag lead to 27-15 with 3:09 left in the first half and Fairfield led 29-17 at intermission. Homan finished with seven points and two blocks in 24 minutes.
Fairfield scored nine of the first 11 points of the second half, opening up a 38-19 lead with 15:25 left.
Also for Rider, sophomore MyNeshia McKenzie (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Delco)) had nine points and four rebounds with junior Carleigh Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) adding two points and eight rebounds.
The 35 points was a season-low for Rider.
Rider was held without a three-point field goal (0-7) for the first time since February 20, 2011 at Canisius.
Fairfield out-shot the Broncs 39 percent to 26 percent.
Fairfield leads the all-time series 29-3 and the Stags have won five straight over the Broncs.
Fairfield has won six in a row. Rider has lost seven straight.
The teams meet again on February 26 in Lawrenceville in a game televised on ESPN3.
The Broncs travel to Baltimore to take on Loyola Maryland Saturday at 2pm in a MAAC game.
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