Women's College Basketball
Rider University 76, Niagara University 72
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y.—The popular 1977 love song by Meatloaf says “don't be sad, cause two out of three ain't bad.”

On Valentine's Day, the Rider University women's basketball team returns home anything but sad, winning two out of three road games, as the Broncs scored a come from behind 76-72 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory at Niagara University on Sunday afternoon.

Five players scored in double-digits for Rider (6-19, 3-13 MAAC), led by 15 points from junior Robin Perkins (Willingboro/Trenton Catholic).

“It takes everybody to get a win,” said head coach Lynn Milligan.  “You saw that today.  We made defensive stops, made free throws and executed in the final quarter on the offensive end of the floor.”

Trailing 57-52, Rider used a 13-0 run, three points each by freshman Johnnah Johnson (Blackwood/The Hun School), freshman Lexi Posset (Pittsburgh, Pa./Beaver Area) and sophomore Kamila Hoskova (Czech Republic) to open up a 65-57 lead with exactly 3:00 left in the game.

“We won the game by defending and turning up the defensive pressure,” said Milligan about the final run that gave Rider the lead.  “We held (Kaylee) Stroemple to only three points in the second half and that was key.  The perimeter pressure was big and caused Niagara to take an extra split second to make a decision.”

Stroemple led Niagara (6-19, 4-12 MAAC) with 20 points, 17 of which came in the opening half.

During the run, Rider forced two Purple Eagle turnovers and three missed shots and more importantly Rider made three of four field goals and converted four of five free throws for the only lead change of the game.

Johnson finished with seven points and six rebounds, Posset had 11 points and five rebounds and Hoskova had 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal in 21 minutes off the bench.

Leading 68-59 after a three-pointer by Perkins, Niagara scored six points in a row to get within three with 34 seconds left and after the Broncs went two for four from the free throw line, a three-pointer by Jayla Nichols cut Rider's lead to 70-69 with 26 seconds remaining.

Junior Taylor Wentzel (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) went six for six from the free throw line in the final 24 seconds to secure the win.

Wentzel finished with 10 points, including an eight for nine effort from the free throw line.  After making only six free throws in 15 attempts in a loss at Canisius College Friday night, Rider was 25-30 from the charity stripe (83 percent) in today's game.

“We felt like we let one get away Friday night by not defending or making free throws in the final 10 minutes,” Milligan said.  “We made sure we defended in the final quarter today and Taylor was huge at the free throw line, especially in the final 30 seconds.”

Niagara opened the game with six straight points as Rider started 0-8 from the field before a shot by Johnson put the Broncs on the board with 3:13 left in the opening quarter.

Trailing 11-2, Rider used back to back jumpers by senior Manon Pellet (Marseille, France) and sophomore C'quoya Haughton (Albany, N.Y./Stoneleigh Burnham Prep) to cut the deficit to 11-6.

Playing her second game since missing six contests with a hip injury, the 109-game veteran Pellet finished with three points and one assist in 15 minutes off the bench with Haughton adding six points, two steals and an assist in 19 minutes.

Niagara ended the opening quarter with four straight points to lead 15-6 after 10 minutes of play.

Rider scored five of the first seven points of the second quarter before the Purple Eagles responded with a 5-0 run, pushing the Bronc deficit to 22-11 with 6:42 left in the second quarter.

Trailing by 11, Perkins scored four of six points for Rider to cut the Niagara lead to 24-19 with 3:40 left in the second quarter.

Posset hit a three-pointer to get Rider to within 32-26 with 30 seconds left in the second quarter and Niagara led 35-26 at the half.

Wentzel had a three-point play with the free throw cutting the Bronc deficit to 37-31 and a three-pointer by Posset got Rider to within 39-34 with 6:53 left in period three.

Trailing 45-38, Rider used back to back baskets from Perkins and Johnson to get within three with 3:13 left in the third quarter.

Niagara ended the third period, scoring eight of the final 12 points to lead 53-46.

Also for Rider, junior Julia Duggan (Marmora/Ocean City) had 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals in 37 minutes of play before fouling out.

Rider forced 18 turnovers by Niagara and the Broncs tied a season-low with seven turnovers in the game.

Niagara leads the all-time series 24-18.  Rider avenged a 67-57 loss to the Purple Eagles in Lawrenceville on January 10.

Rider hosts Saint Peter's University at 7pm on Thursday night.

-RU-