LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University women's basketball team fell behind early, then mounted a furious comeback that came up just short Wednesday night in Alumni Gym. The Broncs fell 60-53 to Saint Joseph's, who was receiving votes in the latest WBCA Coaches Poll. The loss sends the Broncs to 3-5 on the season, while the Hawks remain unbeaten at 9-0.
 
The Hawks jumped out to the early lead, breaking the game open midway through the opening quarter. Leading 4-3, St. Joe's used a 14-0 run that took up nearly six minutes. The Hawks led 22-9 after the first.
 
Rider climbed back into the game early in the second with a 7-0 run, getting baskets by Emily Strunk (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg), Maya Hyacienth (Nottingham, United Kingdom/City of London Academy), and Jessika Schiffer (Iserlohn, Germany/Deutschhaus Gymnasium Würzburg[Buffalo]). The Hawks led 34-23 at the half.
 
Trailing 40-25, Rider closed out the third by outscoring the Hawks 12-5, capped by a triple from Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood) that cut the deficit to 45-37.
 
Raphaela Toussaint (Kingston, Ontario/Lincoln Prep) carried the momentum in the fourth, scoring the opening basket of the quarter that trimmed the lead to just six. But that would be as close as the Broncs would get. A 7-0 St. Joe's run, including a second-chance three-pointer appeared to kill the Broncs momentum. Rider responded with a 7-0 run of its own to get the lead back to six with just under three minutes to play.
 
With 1:42 Firebaugh knocked down a three that cut the deficit to 56-53, but the Broncs would not get any closer.
 
Quotes & Notes
"The fans saw a great basketball game tonight. We played a really solid three quarters. The first quarter, they dropped 22 on us, and after that we were defensively pretty strong. A couple too many turnovers and some missed opportunities."
 
"We only got 48 shots up, so we needed more possessions. It's holding strong to our principles all game. Every time you make a defensive mistake, the Basketball Gods make you pay for it."
 
"We're disappointed. It's a home loss. We dug ourselves that hole in the first quarter and it was pretty even after that. You have to come out ready and throw that first punch." – Head Coach Lynn Milligan
 
"My goal is to be the defensive catalyst, and I go in with the mindset of stopping the ball. I felt it today, the pace definitely picked up and we were just flowing off each other."
 
"Coming off the bench is an advantage for me. I get to scout again and go in with a clear mind, and if I'm confident enough and I'm open, I'll put my shot up and it will go in." – Senior Guard Maya Hyacienth
 
"I always go in with an open mindset, and am ready whenever coach calls my number. I don't ever have expectations for playing time. I just appreciate her putting me in and believing in me."
 
"We've been working on a lot of different things in practice and obviously those things are working to our advantage. As soon as we hit MAAC play, everythings going to be clicking the way we want it to be." – Sophomore Forward Emily Strunk
 
 
- The Hawks extend their lead the all-time series to 6-1.
- Firebaugh was the lone Bronc in double figures, finishing with 12.
- Strunk finished with a season-high seven points, one off her career-high.
- Hyacienth had a season-high nine points and season-high four rebounds.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider shot 43.8% (21-48) from the field and 33.3% (7-21) from three. The Hawks shot 39.7% (23-58) from the floor and 23.5% (4-17) from behind the arc.
- St. Joe's held a 32-30 edge on the glass, with an 11-6 advantage in offensive rebounds.
- The Broncs had 16 assists on 21 made baskets led by seven from Amanda Mobley (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh).
- Rider held an 18-4 advantage in bench points.
 
Up Next
- Rider heads on the road for a game at Seton Hall Friday morning. Tip off is scheduled for 11 a.m.