LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University women's basketball team fell at home to hOURglass rival Saint Peter's, 59-50, in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) action on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Peacocks (6-9, 5-5 MAAC) snapped a six-game losing streak with the win and settled for a regular-season series split with the Broncs (2-13, 1-9 MAAC).
 
Saint Peter's closed the opening quarter on an 11-2 run to take a seven-point lead into the second frame. After the early minutes, the Peacocks never trailed as Rider battled to stay in the game.
 
Trailing by 14 at the end of the third quarter, Rider cut the deficit to just five at 54-49 with a minute remaining in regulation following a jumper from Lenaejha Evans (Conway, SC/Conway [Pensacola St. College]). After the Evans bucket, Saint Peter's knocked down their free throws to escape with the win.
 
Freshman guard Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood) paced the Rider attack with 13 points. Evans was the other Bronc in double figures with 11 off the bench.

QUOTES & NOTES
"It's a disappointing loss. We did not get the job done today. We wanted to build on our success yesterday, but we did not have an answer for Taiah Thornton. We did not shoot the ball particularly well either and both of those things hurt us in the end." – Rider Head Coach Lynn Milligan

- Rider and Saint Peter's have now split the regular-season series in each of the last two seasons.
- The win was the first for SPU in Lawrenceville since February of 2012.
- Rider outrebounded the Peacocks, 45-42. The Broncs had 10 offensive rebounds. It was their ninth game with 10 or more offensive boards this season.
- The Broncs had six blocked shots in the game. It was their fifth game with five or more blocks in 2020-21.
 
BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Firebaugh had nine of her 13 points in the fourth quarter. She was 5-of-5 at the charity stripe. Firebaugh also added eight rebounds, two assists and one steal.
- Evans had 11 points and six assists for the Broncs.
- Freshman Raphaela Toussaint had eight points and 10 rebounds for Rider. She knocked down 4-of-7 from the field and added two blocked shots. It was her third straight game with 10 or more boards. On the weekend, Toussaint averaged over 13 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 61 percent from the field.
- Victoria Toomey had five points, nine rebounds and a career-high four blocks.
 
UP NEXT
Rider returns to action next weekend with a pair of home contests against Quinnipiac.