Women's Basketball
Game 11
Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 1:00 pm
Rider Broncs (8-2, 1-0 MAAC) at Iona Gaels (2-8, 1-0 MAAC)
Location: New Rochelle, NY (Hynes Athletics Center)
Tip: 1:00 pm
Live Stats: ICGaels.com
Live Video: ESPN+
How To Access ESPN+: Click Here
Twitter: @RiderWBB
Game Notes: Game 11
 
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 Gaels enter the weekend with a 2-8 overall record and 1-0 mark in conference play after upending Quinnipiac, 75-71, on Thursday. The victory snapped an eight-game Iona losing streak. In the win over the Bobcats, sophomore De'jah Williams scored a career-high 20 points. Offensively, two Gaels are averaging in double figures, highlighted by Morgan Rachu scoring over 14 points per game. Rachu leads the MAAC in three-pointers made per game with 3.5 and she ranks second in the conference in three-point field-goal percentage at .432. Sophomore Juana Camilion was named to the Preseason All-MAAC Third Team and the Gaels were picked to finish ninth by the league's head coaches.
 
- Iona leads the all-time series, 27-22. However, the Broncs have had the edge of late thanks to winning the last seven meetings between the two teams. Dating back to 2014-15, Rider is 4-1 in their last five games at the Hynes Athletics Center.
 
- Last time out, Stella Johnson scored 29 points in the second half as Rider erased a nine-point halftime deficit en route to a 79-75 MAAC win against Niagara. Stella scored 18 points in the fourth quarter as Rider remained unbeaten at home in 2019-20. Three Broncs scored in double figures in the win.
 
- Rider is 8-2 for the first time since the 1993-94 season. It marks just the third time the Broncs have won eight of their first 10 games since joining Division I prior to the 1982-83 season.
 
- Rider is in the midst of a five-game winning streak. It is the second time this season that the Broncs have reeled off more than three straight victories. The five-game winning streak marks the most consecutive wins for Rider since the team had a six-game winning streak last season.
 
- Rider had its strongest defensive effort of the season versus the La Salle. The Broncs held the Explorers 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 shot a season-high 50 percent (31-of-62) from the field in the win over Wagner last time out. The Broncs hit 67.8 percent (19-of-28) of their shots over the final 20 minutes against the Seahawks to pull away. It was the best field-goal percentage for the team since Rider hit over 56 percent of its shots in a win over Saint Peter's last February. As a team, Rider is shooting over 41 percent from the field this season.
 
- Rider had seven blocks in the win over La Salle on December 7. It was the second game this season in which the Broncs had seven or more blocked shots. As a team, Rider leads the MAAC with 34 total blocks and 4.3 blocks per game. Amari Johnson tied a career-high with four blocks against La Salle. Last time out against Wagner, she swatted two shots. She currently leads the MAAC with 13 total blocks and 1.3 blocks per game. In 41 games with the Broncs, Amari has recorded two or more blocks in a game 11 times.
 
- On 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 20th in the poll. Rider is ranked in the poll for the first time since during the program's historic 2016-17 season. The 20th ranking is the highest-ever for Rider in the poll.