Women's Basketball
Game Three (HOME OPENER)
Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Rider Broncs (1-1) vs. Xavier Musketeers (1-1)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ (Alumni Gymnasium)
Tip: 12:00 pm
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com
Live Video: ESPN3
How to Access ESPN3: Click here
Tickets: GoBroncsTix.com
Twitter: @RiderWBB
Game Notes: Game Three
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- All Rider home basketball games will air on ESPN+ or ESPN3, with the exception of the January 9th contest against Quinnipiac that will air on ESPNU.
 
- Rider and Xavier will be playing for the first time ever on Saturday. However, the Musketeers are 3-5 all-time against teams from the MAAC.  
 
- The Musketeers enter Saturday's matinee with a record of 1-1. Xavier defeated Utah at home in the season opener before falling on the road at Temple on Thursday. The Musketeers were selected eighth in the BIG EAST preseason poll. Junior forward A'riana Gray earned Preseason All-BIG EAST honors for Xavier. Through two games, Gray is averaging a double-double with 18 points and over 11 rebounds per game. As a team, Xavier is shooting better than 37 percent from the field. The Musketeers have struggled at the free-throw line, hitting just 55 percent of their free-throw attempts.
 
- Last time out, Rider defeated Penn State, 78-70, at the Bryce Jordan Center. It marked the second victory over a Power 5 team for the Broncs under Head Coach Lynn Milligan. Three Rider players scored in double figures in the win led by Stella Johnson with 25 points. 
 
- Rider used a 17-3 first-quarter run to build a lead they would relinquish against Penn State. During the stretch to end the opening frame, Rider held Penn State to just nine percent (1-of-11) shooting from the field and the Nittany Lions committed five turnovers. On the offensive side of the ball, Rider was 6-of-12 shooting during the seven-minute surge.
 
- Rider shot over 79 percent (23-of-29) from the free-throw line in the victory over Penn State. The 23 made free throws were the most by the Broncs since hitting 30 in the MAAC Championship Quarterfinals in March of 2018. Stella Johnson hit a career-high 14 shots from the charity stripe and sophomore Amanda Mobley was a perfect 4-of-4 at the foul line.
 
- Sophomore point guard Amanda Mobley had a monster game against Penn State. She set new career-bests in points (15), rebounds (7), free-throws made (4), made three-point field goals (3) and steals (3). Mobley also added one blocked shot and six assists versus the Lady Lions. It was the third time in her career that she had five or more assists in a game.
 
- Senior guard Stella Johnson was named the MAAC Player of the Week and the College Sports Madness MAAC Player of the Week on Monday afternoon. Johnson garnered weekly accolades from the MAAC for the first time this year and the sixth time in her career. Stella averaged 23.5 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game and 2.0 steals per game. She hit 18-of-22 from the free-throw line and shot over 36 percent from the field. In the season opener against Princeton, she scored 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting. In a 78-70 win over Penn State, Johnson had 25 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. She also made a career-high 14 free throws in the victory over the Nittany Lions.
 
- Senior wing Amari Johnson had 14 points to go along with 13 rebounds in the win over Penn State. It was Johnson's first double-double of the year and the sixth of her career. Eleven of her rebounds came on the defensive end for the Broncs. She also had three blocks and one assist in the win. 
 
- Rider had seven blocks in the win on Sunday at Penn State. It was the most for the team since they had nine against Manhattan in February of 2018. In the season-opener at Princeton, the Broncs had six blocks. Amari Johnson had three blocks versus PSU and Stella Johnson had two. In 34 career games with Rider, it was Amari's eighth game with two or more blocks. Rider currently leads the MAAC with 6.5 blocks per game.
 
- Rider was picked to finish third in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. It is the highest the Broncs have been picked to finish in the preseason poll since joining the league. Rider was tabbed fourth in both 2018-19 and 2009-10.
 
- Stella Johnson became the first player in program history to earn MAAC Preseason Player of the Year honors. Stella was also a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team. Two other Broncs picked up preseason accolades as senior Amari Johnson landed on the Preseason All-MAAC Second Team and classmate Lea Favre earned Preseason All-MAAC Third Team distinction.  
 
- Senior Stella Johnson was named to the Women's Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on November 6th. Johnson is one of 50 players in the nation and just two players from mid-major programs to earn a spot on the list. In late October, Johnson was also named one of 20 watch-list candidates for the 2020 Nancy Lieberman Award as announced by The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).