Women's Basketball
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Rider Broncs (3-4) vs. Saint Joseph's Hawks (8-0)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ (Alumni Gym)
Tip: 7:00 p.m.
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com
Broadcast: ESPN+
Radio: 107.7 TheBronc Retro
Twitter: @RiderWBB
 
 
What You Need To Know
- Wednesday night's game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

- Rider's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be stationed in the Alumni Gym lobby for its annual holiday basket giveaway and will collect stuffed animals which will be donated to Capital Health.

- Rider's mascot, AJ The Bronc, will be dressed in his Santa suit bringing holiday cheer to fans.
 
- Last time out, Wednesday, the Broncs held Navy to just 25.5% shooting in a 59-43 victory. It was the fewest points allowed in a game since a 51-41 victory over Monmouth last season. It was the lowest shooting percentage allowed since holding Army West Point to 24.3% from the field last season as well.
 
- Rider went 1-1 at the MAAC/ASUN Challenge, defeating North Florida 76-67 before falling to Eastern Kentucky 85-64. Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood) averaged 21.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 55.0% from behind the arc to earn MAAC Player of the Week honors.
 
- Rider was picked to finish tied for sixth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Broncs return four starters and all but three members of last year's team.
 
- Firebaugh was named Preseason Third-Team All-MAAC. The 2020-21 MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year averaged 11.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season. Her 31 points against Niagara were the most in a single game by any player in the MAAC last season.
 
- Rider is one of just nine teams in Division I without a true freshman on the roster. They just faced one of the other nine teams at the MAAC/ASUN Challenge when the Broncs battled Eastern Kentucky. The remaining seven teams are Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, CSUN, Gonzaga, Green Bay, Norfolk St, and Valpo. The Broncs are one of just five teams that returns 12 or more players from last season's roster, joining Columbia, Western Michigan, Liberty, and Weber State.
 
- Rider has made the MAAC Semifinals in five of the last six seasons. The Broncs were named MAAC Champions for 2019-20 for the first time in program history.
 
- Raphaela Toussaint (Kingston, Ontario/Lincoln Prep) led the Broncs with five double-doubles last season. She earned her first double-double of the season against North Florida with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
 
- Amanda Mobley's (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh) eight assists last time out gives her 406 for her career, fourth-most in program history. Next on the list is Stella Johnson '20, who finished with 428.
 
- The Broncs led the MAAC and ranked 42^nd nationally with an average of 4.2 blocks per game last season. Anna Ekerstedt (Varberg, Sweden/Marks Gymnasieskola) averaged 1.50 blocks per contest last season. Even with Ekerstedt sidelined due to injury, Rider blocked nine shots against NJIT.
 
- Nearly two-thirds of Jessika Schiffer's (Iserlohn, Germany/Deutschhaus Gymnasium Würzburg) shots last season (179-277) came from three-point range. 44 of her 66 shots this season have come from deep. Schiffer scored a season-high 19 points against Lehigh.
 
- Incoming transfer ToniRenee Blanford (Montclair, NJ/The Patrick School) made her Rider debut in the season opener against NJIT, scoring six points and grabbing four boards.
 
- Rider got its first-ever win against the Hawks in the last meeting between the programs in the opening round of the 25th Annual Hawks Classic in 2018. Amari Johnson led Rider's effort in that contest, scoring 17 points. The meeting in 2018 was the first between the squads since the 1985-86 season.
 
- The Hawks enter Wednesday's game at 8-0, but five of their eight victories this season have come by single digits. St. Joe's is one of the best defensive teams in the country, allowing just 55.5 points per game. Talya Brugler leads the Hawks' offensive efforts at 15.0 points per game, one of three Hawks averaging double figures this season.