Women's Basketball
Game Eight
Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at 7:00 pm
Rider Broncs (5-2) vs. Wagner Seahawks (4-4)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ (Alumni Gymnasium)
Tip: 7:00 pm
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com
Live Video: ESPN3
How to Access ESPN3: Click here
Tickets: GoBroncsTix.com
Twitter: @RiderWBB
Game Notes: Game Eight
 
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.
 
- The Seahawks enter Wednesday evening's contest with a 4-4 record after falling at home to Stony Brook, 66-45, on Sunday. Wagner is 0-3 outside of Staten Island this season with road losses against Maryland, Butler and Youngstown State. It is a balanced offensive attack for Wagner with three players averaging in double figures, led by sophomore forward Emilija Krista Grava with over 17 points per game. Junior wing Khaleah Edwards and freshman guard Alex Cowan are both scoring over 12 points per contest for the Seahawks as well. As a team, Wagner is dishing out over 15 assists per game and committing nearly 22 turnovers per tilt.
 
- Rider and Wagner are playing for the 22nd time in the all-time series history with the Broncs holding a 13-8 edge. The former NEC rivals are playing for the first time since December of 2006.  
 
- Last time out, Aubre Johnson scored the game-winning basket with eight seconds left in regulation and the Rider defense forced a stop on the final possession of the game as the Broncs knocked off Georgetown, 65-64, last Saturday. The back-and-forth game saw 28 lead changes and neither team led by more than five points.
 
- With the victory over Georgetown, Rider is now 2-0 against teams from the BIG EAST this season. Rider beat Xavier at home on November 16. The Broncs also have a victory over Penn State this season to make them 3-0 versus high-major opponents in 2019-20.
 
- Rider is looking to improve to 3-0 at home for the third time under Head Coach Lynn Milligan. The Broncs started 3-0 inside Alumni Gym in 2016-17 and during Milligan's first year at the helm of the program in 2007-08.
 
- Rider had its strongest defensive effort of the season versus the Explorers. The Broncs held La Salle to just made eight made field goals and 16 percent shooting, while forcing 18 Explorer turnovers. Rider has forced 18 or more turnovers from its opponents in four straight games. The eight made field goals are the fewest allowed in a game under Head Coach Lynn Milligan and the 16 percent was the lowest the Broncs have held an opponent shooting under Milligan as well.
 
- Rider had three players score in double figures in the victory over Georgetown on Saturday. It marked the second straight game and the third time this year that the Broncs had three players score 10 or more points in a game. Rider is 3-0 when three players register in double figures. Stella Johnson had a game-high 30 points, while Daija Moses and Lea Favre each added 12 points apiece.
 
- Stella Johnson is Rider's all-time leader in made field goals. She has made 591 field goals in her career. Last time out against the Hoyas, she poured in 30 points thanks to hitting 10-of-18 shots from the field. It was her third game this year with 30 or more points. She is the only player in the MAAC this year to score over 28 points in a game this season. Stella has three games this season in which she has made 10 or more field goals. No other player in the MAAC has more than one. Stella is also third in program history in field goal percentage thanks to hitting 46.2 percent of her career shots.
 
- Since joining the starting lineup against La Salle, Lea Favre has been on a tear for the Broncs. Over her last two games, she is averaging 12 points, three rebounds and two assists per game. Favre is shooting an impressive 70.5 percent (12-of-17) from the field over her last two games.
 
- On Tuesday, November 26, Stella Johnson was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week. It marked the first time in program history that a Bronc was named the USBWA National Player of the Week and also the first time a player from the MAAC picked up the weekly accolade as well. Stella is one of just two active players in all of Division I, along with Princeton's Bella Alarie, to be have earned both USBWA National Player of the Week and USBWA National Freshman of the Week honors in their careers.
 
- Senior guard Stella Johnson set a single-game program record with 41 points in the victory over Lipscomb on November 22. The previous record for points in game by a Bronc was 37 by both MyNeshia McKenzie and Nancy Carroll. Stella scored 18 of her points during the fourth quarter yesterday. She hit 17-of-18 free-throw attempts. Stella also grabbed a season-high eight rebounds to go along with three steals, two blocks and two assists. She was the first player in the MAAC to score over 40 points since Victoria Rampado had 41 against Siena in January of 2018.
 
- 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). She was also named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List by the USBWA on December 5.
 
- Following the 64-57 win over Xavier on November 16, Rider moved into CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll. The Broncs are currently ranked 22nd in the poll and entered the poll two weeks ago. Rider is ranked in the poll for the fourth time in program history and the first time since during the program's historic 2016-17 season. The 22nd ranking is the highest-ever for Rider in the poll.