Women's College Basketball
Fairfield University 55, Rider University 39
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ—Fairfield, the conference Preseason favorite, defeated Rider Thursday night in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game on ESPN3.

“We are disappointed that we let another win at home get away,” said head coach Lynn Milligan.  “I'm happy with the defensive effort, holding Fairfield to 55 points but we are still struggling to score.”

The 39 points Rider scored is the lowest since the Broncs scored just 33 points in a 44-33 loss at Niagara last February.

Fairfield (7-9, 2-5 MAAC) out-scored Rider 12-3 to start the second half, seven points by 6'2” junior forward Casey Smith, to take a 38-16 lead with 4:08 left in the third quarter. Smith finished with 11 points.

Rider (3-13, 0-7 MAAC) used an 11-5 run, four points by sophomore guard Kamila Hoskova, to cut the Stag lead to 43-27 after three quarters. Hoskova finished with eight points.

The Broncs scored 14 points in the third quarter after scoring just 13 points in the first half.

Fairfield led 26-13 at halftime, as Rider made just three (of 25) first half field goal attempts.

Junior guard Robin Perkins had seven of Rider's 13 first-half points and she finished with a game-high 14 points.

Holding a 7-5 lead, Fairfield out-scored Rider 15-1, five points by senior guard Lizzy Ball, to take a 22-6 lead with 6:51 left in the first half. Ball finished with 13 points

The Stags built a 15-5 lead in the first quarter, five points by 6'0” senior guard Kristen Schatzlein.

Schatzlein finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Rider made just two of 16 field goal attempts in the opening 10 minutes, with Perkins scoring all five Bronc points.

Fairfield jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first four minutes, as the Broncs made just one of their first nine field goal attempts.

Rider sophomore forward C'quoya Haughton grabbed eight rebounds. Fairfield 6'2” junior forward Kelsey Carey grabbed nine rebounds.

Fairfield out-shot Rider 39 percent (20-51) to 23 percent (13-56) and the Stags held a 41-37 rebounding advantage.

Rider ended Fairfield's season in the 2014 MAAC Tournament. The Stags have won both meetings since then, by three points at Fairfield and by 12 points at Rider last year.

The loss was Rider's eighth in a row.

The win snapped Fairfield's three-game losing streak.

Rider returns to Alumni Gym Sunday to host first-place Siena at 1pm. That game will also be broadcast on ESPN3.

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