Women's Basketball
Saturday, January 8, 2022 at 7:00 pm
Rider Broncs (3-9, 1-2 MAAC) vs. Fairfield Stags (6-5, 3-0 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ (Alumni Gym)
Tip: 7:00 pm
Live Video: ESPN3
Live Audio: 107.7 The Bronc
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com
Twitter: @RiderWBB
 
What You Need To Know
- Saturday night's game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
 
- The Broncs led by as many as 23 points at Manhattan on Thursday, but ultimately fell, 63-58 to the Jaspers. The Broncs have had a lead in the final two minutes of all three MAAC contests this season.
 
- The Broncs led wire-to-wire in their victory at Siena. 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.
 
- The Broncs lost their MAAC opener, 64-60, against Quinnipiac. 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 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.
 
- Fairfield leads the all-time series 41-13, including a season sweep last year. Prior to last season however, Rider had won five straight over the Stags and seven of the last eight.
 
- 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.
 
- Lenaejha Evans (Conway, SC/Conway) is leading the Broncs at 15.4 points per game, and tops the squad with 11 double-digit scoring games this season, including a career-high 23 points against Wagner. The senior leads the MAAC and ranks 76th nationally this season, shooting 51.1% 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 39th nationally with an average of 4.7 blocks per game. Victoria Toomey (Dunmore, PA/Dunmore) and Anna Ekerstedt (Varberg, Sweden/Marks Gymnasieskola [Broward College]) are both averaging at least a block per contest this season. Ekerstedt had a career high four blocks against Manhattan.
 
- 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 (69-102) 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 Stags are one of three teams that have yet to drop a MAAC contest this season, starting 3-0 in league play. Lou Lopez-Senechal, the pre-season MAAC Player of the Year and reigning MAAC Player of the Week, is the leader of the Stags, averaging 19.3 points per game. Andrea Hernangomez averages a team-high 9.8 rebounds and Rachel Hakes averages 5.5 assists.