Women's Basketball
Game Six
Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 2:00 pm
Rider Broncs (3-2) vs. La Salle Explorers (6-3)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ (Alumni Gymnasium)
Tip: 2:00 pm
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com
Live Video: ESPN3
How to Access ESPN3: Click here
Tickets: GoBroncsTix.com
Twitter: @RiderWBB
Game Notes: Game Six
 
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 Explorers enter Saturday's matinee with a record of 6-3 after falling to Penn on Wednesday evening. La Salle has dropped back-to-back games after winning six of its first seven contests. It is a balanced offensive attack for the Explorers with four players scoring over seven points per game. Claire Jacobs leads the team with over 10 points per contest, while Kayla Spruill is pouring in over nine points per tilt. In the post Shaline Miller is scoring six a game and pulling down eight boards per contest. Last time out, she recorded her first double-double of the season with an 11-point, 12-rebound effort. As a team, the Explorers are committing over 21 turnovers per game and blocking nearly six shots per contest.
 
- In the last meeting between the two teams, Rider defeated La Salle, 76-55, in December of 2017 in Philadelphia. In the win, the Broncs outscored the Explorers, 27-13, in the fourth quarter to pull away. Stella Johnson had 11 points, five assists, five rebounds, a career-high four blocks and three steals in the victory for Rider.
 
- Rider and La Salle are playing for the 12th time in the all-time series on Saturday. La Salle leads the series, 9-2, but the Broncs have had the edge of late, winning each of the last two meetings. The last three games between the two teams have all been decided by double figures.
 
- Last time out, Rider fell to North Florida, 80-70, in Orlando on November 23. The Ospreys outscored the Broncs, 31-22, in the fourth quarter to pull away. The 31 points allowed were the most in a single quarter by Rider this season. Stella Johnson scored 39 points in a losing effort for the Broncs.
 
- 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.
 
- Entering the week, Stella Johnson leads the country in scoring with 30.8 PPG. Buffalo's Dyaisha Fair and Binghamton's Kai Moon are tied for second with just over 24 points per contest. Stella also ranks second in all of Division I with 57 made free throws.
 
- With a put back just before time expired against North Florida, senior wing Amari Johnson recorded her second double-double of the season. She finished with 11 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. Eight of her rebounds came on the offensive end. She is the only Bronc to record a double-double this season. It was the seventh double-double of her career.
 
- Rider outrebounded North Florida, 47-33, last time out. It marked the third straight game in which the Broncs grabbed more rebounds than their opponents. It was Rider's third game this season with 40 or more boards. The plus-14 rebound margin was a season-high for Rider. The Broncs currently lead the MAAC in rebounding margin at +0.6. Versus the Ospreys, Rider had 25 offensive rebounds. It marked the most offensive rebounds for the Broncs since the team pulled down 27 against Iona in December of 2014. 
 
- Rider had a season-high 11 steals versus North Florida. Stella Johnson had a season-best five thefts, while Daija Moses and Amanda Mobley each added two steals apiece. It was the most steals for the team since February of 2019 against Monmouth when the Broncs had 13 steals.
 
- 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).