Women's Basketball
Monday, December 20, 2021 at 7:00 pm
Rider Broncs (2-8, 0-1 MAAC) at Siena Saints (0-8, 0-0 MAAC)
Location: Loudonville, NY (UHY Center)
Tip: 7:00 pm
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: SienaSaints.com
Twitter: @RiderWBB
 
What You Need To Know
- Monday night's game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
- The Broncs lost their MAAC opener, 64-60, to Quinnipiac on Saturday. Jessika Schiffer (Iserlohn, Germany/Deutschhaus Gymnasium Würzburg) set career-highs in points (22), assists (seven), and three-pointers (six). She scored 16 of her 22 in the second half as Rider led the preseason MAAC favorites with under two minutes to play.
 
- Raphaela Toussaint (Kingston, Ontario/Lincoln Prep) produced double-doubles in both Rider victories, earning MAAC Player of the Week honors on Dec. 6. In Rider's win over NJIT, she had 17 points and 10 boards. Against Army, the sophomore had 13 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high four assists.
 
- Siena leads the all-time series over the Broncs, 35-16. The series has been much closer since head coach Lynn Milligan took over, with the gap narrowing to 16-13. Rider had won four-straight over the Saints before Siena won both match-ups a season ago.
 
- Rider has made five-straight appearances in the MAAC Semi-finals. The Broncs were named MAAC Champions for 2019-20 for the first time in program history.
 
- A year ago, Rider finished 8-18 overall and earned the no. 7 seed in the MAAC Basketball Championship. The Broncs ended the season strong, going 6-4 in their final 10 games. In the MAAC Championship, the Broncs knocked off 10^th-seeded Monmouth 44-41 before upsetting second-seeded Quinnipiac 62-50.
 
- Rider was picked to finish fifth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Broncs return all but one member of last year's team.
 
- Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood), the reigning MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year and Second-Team All-MET guard, earned Preseason Second-Team All-MAAC honors. The sophomore averaged a team-high 11.0 points a season ago along with 4.4 rebounds. Toussaint was tabbed Preseason Third-Team All-MAAC. A fellow member of the All-Rookie Team a season ago, Toussaint averaged 7.5 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 47.6% from the field and 47.8% from three.
 
- Lenaejha Evans (Conway, SC/Conway) is leading the Broncs at 15.3 points per game, and tops the squad with nine double-digit scoring games this season, including a career-high 23 points against Wagner last Tuesday. The senior is second in the MAAC and ranks 70th nationally this season, shooting 51.9% from the field.
 
- Amanda Mobley (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh) now has 319 career assists, good for eighth in program history after passing both Becky Hower '05 and Debbie Snyder '94 against Wagner. Next on the list is Rider Hall of Famer Linda Digiuseppantonio '87, who ended her career with 329.
 
- The Broncs lead the MAAC and rank 61^st nationally with an average of 4.3 blocks per game. Victoria Toomey (Dunmore, PA/Dunmore) and Toussaint are each averaging at least a block per contest this season. Toomey led the Broncs in block in both of Rider's win this season.
 
- The Broncs were lethal at the free-throw line against NJIT. The Broncs shot 88.5% (23-26) at the charity stripe, including going 11-12 in the fourth quarter. The 23 made free-throws are the most in a game since the team also had 23 in an early season win over Lipscomb in 2019. The last time the Broncs hit more than 23, was the 30 made in 2018 in a MAAC Tournament victory over Fairfield.
 
- Nearly 70% of Schiffer's shots this season (60-87) have come from three-point range. Her six made threes against Quinnipiac are tied for the fifth-most in a game in program history.
 
- In four of the Broncs' first six games this season, Rider held their opponent to their lowest point total of the season. At the Christmas City Classic, the Broncs held Lehigh to 69 points and Columbia to 63. Lehigh had scored under 80 just once this season in five games prior to facing Rider, and Columbia was held under 70 just once in their seven prior games.
 
- The Saints have struggled through non-conference play this season, sitting at 0-8 on the year. Siena has been in games all year, with six of their eight losses coming by 10 points or less. Rayshel Brown is the lone Saint averaging double figures this season, leading the team at 13.3 per game and she is also second on the team with 5.1 rebounds per contest.