Women's Basketball
Thursday, January 20, 2022 at 7:00 pm
Rider Broncs (5-11, 3-4 MAAC) vs. Siena Saints (3-10, 3-2 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ (Alumni Gym)
Tip: 7:00 pm
Live Video: ESPN3
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com
Live Audio: 107.7 The Bronc
Twitter: @RiderWBB
Tickets: GoBroncsTix.com
 
What You Need To Know
- Thursday night's game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
 
- Be sure to come early and stick around after the game as Head coach Lynn Milligan will hold a pregame chalk talk at 6PM in the practice facility, all fans are encouraged to attend. Pre-registration is requested by email to rkhalsa@rider.edu. It is recommended game tickets are purchased in advance. Following the game, the team will sign autographs for fans about 10 minutes after the game. Schedule posters and sharpies will be provided.
 
-Rider trailed for just 19 seconds last time out against Niagara, but those 19 seconds included the final buzzer as the Broncs fell 75-74. The Broncs have now led with under two minutes remaining in six of their seven MAAC contests. Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood) became just the 15^th different player in program history to reach the 30-point club, scoring a career-high 31 points.
 
- The Broncs swept the Western NY swing for the second-straight time, also winning both in 2019-20 (Due to changes to the schedule in 2020-21 the trip did not occur), after topping Niagara 92-70 on Saturday. Lenaejha Evans (Conway, SC/Conway) scored a career-high 30 in that contest.
 
- The Broncs led wire-to-wire in their victory at Siena earlier this year. It's the first time Rider did not trail in a game since a 45-31 victory over Monmouth last season. The Broncs have had at least one wire-to-wire victory in every season since the 2011-12 campaign.
 
- Evans is leading the Broncs at 15.6 points per game, and tops the squad with 13 double-digit scoring games this season, including a career-high 30 points in the first meeting against Niagara. The senior was named both MAAC and Met Basketball Writers Association Player of the Week after leading Rider to a sweep of the western NY swing.
 
- Raphaela Toussaint (Kingston, Ontario/Lincoln Prep) produced double-doubles in both of Rider's first two 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. Toussaint added a career-high 23 points last time out against Niagara.
 
- Siena leads the all-time series over the Broncs, 35-17. The series has been much closer since head coach Lynn Milligan took over, with the gap narrowing to 16-14. Rider won the first meeting this season 59-43, leading wire-to-wire. Evans scored 18 points, Firebaugh added 14, and Toussaint chipped in 12 in the victory.
 
- 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.
 
- Firebaugh, 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.
 
- Molly Lynch (Sea Girt, NJ/Rutgers Prep) had a career game last time out against Niagara. The sophomore set career-highs in points (9), assists (7), steals (2), and minutes (23).
 
- 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 46th nationally with an average of 4.3 blocks per game. Victoria Toomey (Dunmore, PA/Dunmore) and Anna Ekerstedt (Varberg, Sweden/Marks Gymnasieskola [Broward College]) are averaging over a block per contest this season. Ekerstedt had a career high six blocks last time out against Niagara. Victoria Toomey (Dunmore, PA/Dunmore) led the Broncs in blocks in all five of the team's wins 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.
 
- Over two-thirds of Jessika Schiffer's (Iserlohn, Germany/Deutschhaus Gymnasium Würzburg) shots this season (95-142) have come from three-point range. Her six made threes against Quinnipiac are tied for the fifth-most in a game in program history.
 
- The Broncs win over the Saints earlier this season sent the Saints to 0-9, but with the turn in the calendar, Siena has turned its season around as well. Siena enters Thursday's game having won three straight, defeating Iona, Marist, and Manhattan. Rayshel Brown continues to lead Siena at 13.1 points per game. She had 12 in the first meeting.