LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University women's basketball team hit twelve threes Wednesday evening, but ran into a Lehigh team that shot lights-out from the field, falling 81-67 in Alumni Gym. The Broncs fall to 2-4 on the season, while the Mountain Hawks improve to 3-5 on the year.
 
As expected, both teams were looking to connect from deep as the Mountain Hawks took an early 11-9 lead with both sides connecting three times from deep in the opening minutes. Lehigh remained hot, extending the lead to double digits on the back of an 8-0 run, including a pair of threes. A late triple by Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood) cut the lead to 19-12 at the end of the first.
 
The Broncs remained hot from behind the arc getting triples from Firebaugh, Maya Hyacienth (Nottingham, United Kingdom/City of London Academy), Molly Lynch (Sea Girt, NJ/Rutgers Prep), Amanda Mobley (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh), and Jessika Schiffer (Iserlohn, Germany/Deutschhaus Gymnasium Würzburg[Buffalo]) to cut the lead to two at 31-29. With time winding down, Firebaugh drained another three to cut the Lehigh lead to 36-34 at the break.
 
After a quick and-one by Lehigh, Rider went on a 7-0 run, with all seven points by Raphaela Toussaint (Kingston, Ontario/Lincoln Prep) to take their first lead since early in the first quarter. Down 49-47, Lehigh would retake the lead with a 6-0 run. An and-one by Firebaugh just before the third quarter buzzer trimmed the Mountain Hawks lead to 55-54.
 
Lehigh pulled away late in the fourth. Leading 66-65, the Mountain Hawks went on an 11-0 run, including a dagger three from Frannie Hottinger. Hottinger led all players in the game with 34 points.
 
Quotes & Notes
"Any time you lose on your home floor we're disappointed. It was a pretty good basketball game, two teams throwing punches, but it came down to that fourth quarter and we didn't."
 
"We didn't defend in the fourth quarter. We didn't score in the fourth quarter. That's what it came down to, unfortunately. We got to figure that out and find a way to get the big stops at the end."
 
"Their two best players combined for all their points tonight. They're both great players and they both took it to us." – Head Coach Lynn Milligan
 
"Everything we practice relates to games and right now we don't have that lock in mentality."
 
"We have multiple times where we're good, but we also have times it's like, 'What are we doing right now?'" – Junior Guard Makayla Firebaugh
 
"It comes down to us being together defensively, because we want to pressure up and we have to keep their guards in front of us."
 
"We know how to score, but we have to hone in on the defense because we're not going to score 100 points to beat a team. We have to get stops on defense." – Senior Guard Jessika Schiffer
 
- Lehigh takes its second-straight over the Broncs and now lead the all-time series 21-10.
- The Broncs' 12 made threes are the most by the team during Milligan's tenure.
- Three Broncs scored in double figures, led by a season-high 19 from Schiffer. Toussaint added a season-high 17 and Firebaugh finished with 14.
- In addition to Hottinger's 34, Mackenzie Kramer had 26.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider shot 43.3% (26-60) from the field and 38.7% (12-31) from three. The Mountain Hawks shot 50.8% (31-61) from the floor and 40.7% (11-27) from behind the arc.
- Lehigh held a 38-27 edge on the glass. The Broncs were led by Victoria Toomey (Dunmore, PA/Dunmore), who finished with seven boards.
- The Broncs had 15 assists on 26 made baskets led by eight from Mobley.
 
Up Next
- Rider hits the road for a game at Navy on Saturday. Tip is scheduled for 11 a.m.