Women's College Basketball
Niagara University 68, Rider University 60
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. -- The Broncs traveled to Niagara with one objective at hand, clinch the fifth seed for the MAAC Championship. Unfortunately for the Broncs (13-14, 9-10 MAAC), a large first half deficit was too much to overcome, as the Broncs lost 68-60 on the road.
Rider and Niagara exchanged small first half leads early in the frame, but an 11-1 Niagara run put the Purple Eagles up 31-16 with 4:07 left in the first half.
The Broncs were able to cut into the Niagara lead as senior MyNeshia McKenzie (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Delco)), hit a jumper with 41 seconds remaining in the first half, but the Purple Eagle would take a 38-25 lead into the break.
McKenzie finished the game with 24 points, 14 rebounds and three steals, her 42nd career 'double-double' and 16th of the season.
The Broncs shot 31 percent from the field in the first half, going 10-32 and 14 percent from behind the arc, shooting 1-7. Rider was also out-rebounded 22-13 in the opening frame.
“It was a disappointing first half,” head coach Lynn Milligan said. “Defensively, we were off, and I thought we rushed a lot of our shots. I thought we got good shots but I thought we rushed a lot of them. We didn't move the ball particularly well. In the second half we moved the ball a lot better while getting some good looks.”
Niagara (9-18, 8-11 MAAC) committed 13 turnovers in the first half that the Broncs were only able to turn into five points. The Purple Eagles were able to convert 22 Rider turnovers into 26 points for the game.
The game became tighter in the second half as the Broncs went on a 14-2 run, including a three-point field goal from junior Kornelija Valiuskyte (Siaulial, Lithuania) that spanned the first six minutes of the second half. The Bronc run cut the Niagara lead to 40-34.
Graduate student Shereen Lightbourne (Elmsford, N.Y./Alexander Hamilton) and Valiuskyte teamed up later in the frame, scoring a pair of baskets to bring the lead down to one, 42-41.
Lightbourne finished the game with 12 points and two rebounds while Valiuskyte finished the game with five points.
However, the Broncs couldn't clear the final hurdle, as Niagara went on a 9-0 run to extend the lead back to double-digits, 51-41.
“They had three wide open threes from the corner off out of bounds plays with no screens,” Milligan said. “It's just a lack of focus. We started to focus a little more and remind everybody what we were doing as far as who the shooters are and who we are guarding. I thought we did a good job in the second half, but the first half really hurt us tonight.”
The Purple Eagles would finally seal the deal, defeating the Broncs 68-60.
“We were stagnant, waiting for someone to make a play or do something,” Milligan said about the loss. “That's not what we do or what we worked on in practice. We need to continue to get better at it.”
Rider defeated Niagara in Lawrenceville on February 9, 82-72 to break a four-game losing streak against the Purple Eagles.
Niagara swept Rider in three games last season, including a 59-54 victory over the Broncs in the 2013 MAAC quarterfinals
Tonight was the 39th meeting between the two teams, with Niagara now holding a 23-16 series advantage.
Rider stays in Western, New York to face Canisius on Sunday with the winner earning the fifth seed and the all important first round bye in the conference tournament March 6-10 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Rider leads the Golden Griffins, Manhattan and Niagara all by one game with the final game of the regular season on Sunday. A Rider win puts the Broncs fifth and a Bronc loss could drop Rider to as low as eighth place in the final standings.
Rider lost to Canisius in Lawrenceville by a 76-72 score on January 12.
Quinnipiac faces Manhattan on Saturday with Fairfield playing Niagara on Sunday.
The official seeds will be announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon.
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