LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Junior point guard Amanda Mobley (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh) scored a team-high 14 points, but it was not enough as the Rider University women's basketball team lost on the road to Villanova, 70-37, on Wednesday afternoon in the 2020-21 season opener.
 
The Wildcats (1-0) jumped out to an early 16-5 edge after the first quarter. The Broncs (0-1) played their strongest 10 minutes of the contest in the second frame, but the hosts took a 36-21 lead into the break.
 
In the second frame, Rider shot 40 percent (4-of-10) from the field and 80 percent (8-of-10) from the charity stripe.
 
Villanova pulled away in the second half to take the regional showdown.
 
Mobley paced the Bronc attack with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting. She also added four rebounds and two assists. Senior  Daija Moses (Toronto, Ontario/Henry Street) added seven points and three boards for the guests.

QUOTES & NOTES
"I am not disappointed with this first game. We needed to play someone else and learn more about ourselves and that's what we did. The score doesn't necessarily show that, but I'm encouraged with a lot of what we did today. We didn't make shots and we are working hard to build our defensive identity. Our young players needed to get a feel for what the pace and speed of the game is a both ends of the floor. This team will continue to grow as we move through the season." - Rider Head Coach Lynn Milligan

- Villanova leads the all-time series with the Broncs, 8-0. The two teams were meeting for the first time in the Lynn Milligan Era. The prior meeting came on Dec. 29, 2001, in Miami, FL.
- Rider is now 6-8 in season openers under Milligan.
- Six Broncs – Lenaejha Evans (Conway, SC/Conway [Pensacola St. College]), Anna Ekerstedt (Varberg, Sweden/Marks Gymnasieskola [Broward College]), Molly Lynch (Sea Girt, NJ/Rutgers Prep), Raphaela Toussaint (Kingston, Ontario/Lincoln Prep), Sofie Bruintjes (Zwolle, The Netherlands/CTO Amsterdam) and Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood) made their Rider debuts.
- Evans, Victoria Toomey (Dunmore, PA/Dunmore) and Maya Hyacienth (Nottingham, UK/City of London Academy) each made their first collegiate starts.
- The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for the Broncs against Big East opponents.
 
BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Mobley scored in double figures for the 14th time in her career.
- Nine different Broncs scored in the game.
- Rider knocked down 75 percent (12-of-16) of its free throws. Dating back to last season, the Broncs have hit over 75 percent of their free throws in two straight contests.
- Off the bench, Sophia DeMauro (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Academy) tied a career-high with four points. She also set a new career-best with four made free throws.
- In her Bronc debut, Lenaejha Evans had four points and three rebounds.


UP NEXT
Rider will host Drexel in its home opener on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Broncs and Dragons have not met with Milligan at the helm.