Women's College Basketball
Canisius College 73, Rider University 64
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game

LAWRENCEVILLE—Trailing 64-61, Canisius College out-scored the Rider University women's basketball team 12-0 in the final four minutes of the game, defeating the Broncs 73-64 on Sunday afternoon in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.

“This is a tough one,” said head coach Lynn Milligan who coached her 250th game at Rider.  “I thought we played with a lot of energy and a lot of purpose.  We needed a couple of stops at the end of the game that we didn't get.”

Rider (2-5, 0-2 MAAC) missed its final eight shots of the game with Canisius going four for five down the stretch, including two three-pointers by Tiahana Mills who had a game-high 20 points in the contest while dishing out seven assists.

“We got good shots but we just didn't make them,” said Milligan.  “The two three-pointers from Mills, those were the back breakers.”

For Rider, which suffered its fifth loss in a row, junior Robin Perkins (Trenton Catholic/Willingboro) had 17 points in only 21 minutes (due to early foul trouble) with sophomore C'quoya Haughton (Albany, N.Y./Stoneleigh Burnham Prep) compiling her first career 'double-double' with 12 points and 17 rebounds (eight on the offensive glass).

“I try to spark the team and that starts with rebounding the ball,” said Haughton who has 19 offensive rebounds this season.  “That's my roll, boxing out, rebounding and bringing energy when I come into the game.”

“C'quoya, she knows her role and what you saw today, that's the energy and effort that she brings every time she is on the court, games or practice,” Milligan said.  “She is our voice and our energy and she bangs around.”

Trailing 49-41, Rider used an 11-2 run, eight points by freshman Lexi Stover (Malvern, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) as the Broncs took a 52-51 lead with 9:46 left in the game, the first of six lead changes in the final quarter.

Stover had 13 points in 24 minutes off the bench.

“We called Lexi's number and ran a couple of plays for her and she knocked the shots down,” Milligan said.  “She was the catalyst for that run.”

Canisius led 55-54 before Perkins hit a three-pointer to give the Broncs a 57-55 lead with 7:45 left in the contest.  Perkins had two of Rider's five three-pointers in the game.

Tied at 57, Perkins had a conventional three-point play, with her free throw giving Rider a 60-57 lead with 7:17 remaining.  Perkins went seven of nine from the free throw line but the Broncs struggled overall, shooting 17 of 27 (63 percent) from the charity stripe.

After the Golden Griffins cut the Bronc lead back to one, Rider and Canisius traded field goals with senior Manon Pellet (Marseille, France) scoring four points in a row for the Broncs, with the second field goal giving Rider a 64-61 lead with 4:03 left.

Playing 24 minutes, Pellet had six points in the game.

Rider led 6-4 in the opening quarter before Canisius ended the opening 10 minutes on a 13-3 run and the Golden Griffins held a 17-9 at the end of one period.

“We hung in there with the early foul trouble and the bench came in and did a fabulous job,” Milligan said.  

Rider's bench out-scored Canisius 33-24.

The Broncs scored four straight, two points each by Perkins and Haughton to cut the Rider deficit to 20-15 with 8:22 left in the second quarter.  

After Canisius pushed its lead to 11, Rider ended the opening half on an 8-3 spurt, with four different players scoring to cut the deficit to 35-29 at the half.

Winners of five straight, Canisius (5-2, 2-0 MAAC) was also led by Margret Halfdanardottir who had 15 points.

Canisius out-shot Rider 46 percent (26-56) to 34 percent (21-61) with the Golden Griffins making seven of 15 three-pointers.

Rider out-rebounded Canisius 42-37, including 18-9 on the offensive glass.

This was the 40th meeting between Rider and Canisius with the Golden Griffins winning for the 31st time.  Rider swept the season series last season, winning 52-51 in Lawrenceville on two Pellet free throws with 0.3 seconds left in the game and the Broncs held on for a 58-56 win in Buffalo after holding a 14 point lead with 16 minutes left to play.

The teams meet in Buffalo on February 12 at 7pm in a game on ESPN 3.

After a break for final exams, Rider returns to action on December 17 when the Broncs host Lehigh University at 7pm.

-RU-