Women's College Basketball
Penn State University 85, Rider University 51

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—Despite a career-high 11 points from Jessie Wallace (Reading, Pa./Wilson), the Rider University women's basketball team lost at Penn State on Sunday afternoon in a non-conference game.

"Jessie did a great job giving us a spark off the bench," said head coach Lynn Milligan.  "She attacked the basket and ran the floor extremely well."

Penn State jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the first two minutes of the game and never trailed.

“We knew that Penn State was a good transition team and liked to get the ball up the floor,” said Milligan who saw her squad outscored on the fast break 19-8.  “The front line of our defense got a little off balance early in the game.  Our defense in transition was not up to standards in the opening half.”

With Rider trailing by nine, Wallace came off the bench with five quick points, as the Broncs got to within 13-7 with 16:11 left in the opening period on a three point play.

Wallace had five rebounds (three offensive) to go along with two steals and an assist in 16 minutes.

Junior Emily Fazzini (Wayne, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) hit a three-pointer, bringing Rider (2-7) to within 19-10 before the Lady Lions used a 9-2 run to push the lead to 16 at the under 12 media time out.

Fazzini led Rider with 14 points on four of nine shooting from three-point range to go along with two rebounds and two steals in 24 minutes.

A three-point play by senior Marritta Gillcrease (Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry Traditional Academy) cut the Bronc deficit to 30-15 with 9:54 left in the first half.

Gillcrease finished with those three points but added eight rebounds two steals and a block in 16 minutes.

Sophomore Julia Duggan (Marmora/Ocean City) hit a jumper and Wallace hit a three-pointer to cut the Penn State lead to 39-22 with 3:51 left in the opening half but that was the last Bronc field goal of the period.  Penn State (3-7) led 50-23 at intermission on 20-36 shooting in the opening 20 minutes.

Duggan finished with six points and three rebounds in 22 minutes.

Rider opened the second half on a 5-0 run, four points by senior Robin Perkins (Willingboro/Trenton Catholic) as the Broncs cut the deficit to 50-28, three minutes into the period and forcing a Lady Lion timeout but that was as close as the Broncs would get.

Perkins had seven points, five rebounds and two blocks, playing 23 minutes.

Penn State out-shot Rider 54 percent (36-67) to 29 percent (19-65).

The Broncs again struggled from the free throw line, making only eight of 21 (38 percent).

This was the second time that Rider and Penn State have met in women's basketball with the Lady Lions winning both games.

Rider has lost three straight, two of the losses to teams that made the NCAA tournament last season.

Rider hosts Maryland Baltimore County in Alumni Gymnasium on Thursday at 5pm in the first game of a doubleheader with the Bronc men's team.  The Rider men host Morgan State at 7:30pm.

-RU-