Lawrenceville, NJ – Sophomore Stella Johnson (Denville, NJ/Morris Catholic) recorded her second career double-double thanks to a career-high 29-point, 11-rebound performance to lead the Rider University women's basketball team past Saint Peter's, 57-52, in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) action on Tuesday evening at the Yanitelli Center.

Johnson scored 20 or more points for the third time this season thanks to knocking down a career-best 13-of-21 from the field. She also added a pair of steals for the Broncs on the defensive end.

Rider (4-10, 1-2 MAAC) snapped a two-game skid and won their second road game in a row, while the Peacocks (3-10, 0-2 MAAC) dropped their eighth contest in a row.

It was a defensive battle early as the Broncs opened the game on a 9-0 run over the 6:56 of play. During the spurt, Rider forced six Peacock turnovers and registered 10 straight defensive stops. The hosts would answer to close out the frame with a 6-0 run as Rider held a 12-10 advantage after 10 minutes of action.

The SPU run would stretch to as many as 10 in the second quarter with the Peacocks taking their first lead of the game at 14-12. Senior Kamila Hoskova (Brno, Czech Republic/ Sportovni Gymnazium Ludvika Danka) would give the Broncs back the lead with a trey four minutes into the stanza. Rider would not trail for the remainder of the half as the guests took a 21-18 edge into break.

Stella Johnson came alive in the third quarter, propelling the Broncs to a double-digit lead. In the frame, she scored 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting as Rider stretched its lead to as many as 10 at 41-31. The Peacocks would answer and close out the quarter on a 6-0 run as Rider took a 41-37 lead into the fourth.

In the fourth, Rider would knock down their free throws to earn the hard-fought road conference triumph.

Offensively, Johnson paced the Rider attack and junior point guard Lexi Posset (Pittsburg, PA/Beaver Area) was the other Bronc in double figures with a season-best 15 points thank to hitting five free-throw attempts.

NOTES & QUOTES
"This is always a tough place to play. It was a well fought game by both teams and we were fortunate enough to come out on the right side. To come out of this tough stretch of three games in six days after the Holiday break with a win was big. I think we battled really well." – Rider Head Coach Lynn Milligan

"Every MAAC game is tough. Records can thrown aside for a lot of teams in the league right now. It's a league in which teams that are ready to put 40 good minutes can win. If you take a night off in this conference you lose." – Milligan

-  The win was the fifth straight for Rider against Saint Peter's.
- The Peacocks lead the all-time series, 44-20.
- The victory was the 14th for Rider against SPU under Milligan. The 14 wins are her most against any opponent.  
- Rider shot over 37 percent (22-of-59) from the field.
- The Broncs forced 18 turnovers and committed just 13.
- Entering the game, Saint Peter's was leading the MAAC in three-point shooting. Tonight they connected on just over 23 percent (4-of-17) from three-point range.
- The last two games between the two teams have both been decided by five points or fewer.
- Rider is now 1-4 in games decided by five points or fewer this year.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Lexi Posset and Stella Johnson scored all 12 of Rider's points in the first quarter. The duo was 5-of-9 from the field. In total, the pair combined for 28 of the team's first 31 points.
- Stella Johnson has now led the team in scoring six times in 2017-18. It was the fifth game this year in which she knocked down better than 50 percent of her shots from the field.
- Posset went 5-of-8 from the free-throw line. To go along with her 15 points she grabbed seven rebounds, dished out five assists and registered three steals. It was her fourth game with five or more assists this season.

UP NEXT
Rider returns to action on Sunday, January 7, hosting Canisius in MAAC play inside Alumni Gymasnium. Opening tip is scheduled for 2:00 pm in Lawrenceville. The Broncs swept the regular season series with the Griffs last year. The contest will feature live stat as well as audio and video feeds. For the links visit the women's basketball schedule page on GoBroncs.com.