LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Despite 17 points and five assists from Amanda Mobley (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh), the Rider University women's basketball team dropped its season opener Monday night, 68-60, to NJIT.
 
Down 3-2 the Highlanders went on a 12-1 run to take a double-digit lead midway through the first. Down 16-7, Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood) scored back-to-back buckets to cut the lead down to five. The Highlanders led 19-13 after one.
 
NJIT broke open the game early in the second. Leading 24-19, NJIT went on a 13-2 run that extend the lead to 37-21. NJIT maintained a 41-26 lead into the half.
 
The teams traded blows in an even third quarter with the lead fluctuating between 13 and 18 before settling on a 56-41 lead for the Highlanders after three.
 
The Broncs finally made a move in the fourth. After NJIT extended the lead to 59-41, Mobley hit a three that kick started a 12-0 run, with seven points by Mobley to cut the lead to six with 4:20 remaining, but Rider would get no closer. NJIT missed a three on the ensuing possession, but grabbed the offensive rebound and knocked down a triple that ended the comeback effort.
 
Quotes & Notes
"We didn't hold up our end of the bargain. Unfortunately, it was a great night and a great day all around. We didn't want to lose and we don't want to lose in front of our home fans. We wanted to win for Stella tonight."
 
"We were off in the first half. We were a little slow and we didn't quite have our rhythm in that first half .Obviously we got ourselves in a situation down early, but push comes to shove, we just made too many mistakes tonight."
 
"We're never gonna stop until the last horn goes off. We gave ourselves a chance to win the game and just didn't get it done." – Head Coach Lynn Milligan
 
"We didn't start off as strong as we should have. We got pushed around. We are a strong team, we really are, but we didn't show that tonight and we need to show that in our future games."
 
"I think everyone knows at this point I'm a pass-first point guard. I think today my shots were just open and going down." – Graduate Guard Amanda Mobley
 
"The biggest thing is not having to claw back every single time. We go down big, so making sure that we come out strong, so we aren't struggling just to be in the game at the end."
 
"The key is feeding off our defense. Usually when that momentum starts to pick up, we turn stops into scores. Stringing those together, get momentum swinging in our direction and then they hit a three at the end of the shot clock and it just kills it." – Senior Forward Victoria Toomey
 
"It's just an honor to be up there with the other great players that came before me, and it's just amazing to be here."
 
"I don't think I really processed it until I actually walked out. I was very emotional seeing everybody in the stands." – 2020 Graduate Stella Johnson
 
- Prior to the game, the Broncs retired no. 4 in honor of Stella Johnson. Johnson is just the second female student-athlete in Rider history, and first women's basketball player to have her number retired.
- The Broncs still lead the all-time series 5-2. Monday's game snaps a four-game Rider winning streak between the schools.
- Three Broncs finished in double figures, led by Mobley's 17. Victoria Toomey (Dunmore, PA/Dunmore) finished with 14 and Firebaugh added 11.
- After finishing in the top 50 in the country in blocked shots in 2021-22, the Broncs got off to a strong start to 2022-23, swatting nine shots. Firebaugh, Mobley, and Toomey each swatted two.
- ToniRenee Blanford (Montclair, NJ/The Patrick School[Union College]) and Daja Wentz (Bronx, NY/Monsignor Scanlan[Monroe College]) both made their official Rider debuts. Blanford scored six points and added four rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench. Wentz grabbed a rebound in two minutes of action.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider shot 40.4% (19-47) from the field and 33.3% (4-12) from three. The Highlanders went 44.0% (22-50) from the floor and 38.9% (7-18) for behind the arc.
- The Broncs had just seven assists on their 19 made baskets.
- NJIT held a 38-25 edge on the glass, including a 12-7 edge in offensive boards.
 
Up Next
- Rider hits the road for a game Thursday at Drexel. Game time is 6 p.m.