LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University women's basketball team saw its two-game winning streak snapped Monday evening, falling 70-62 to Marist. The loss sends the Broncs to 8-17 on the season and 6-10 in MAAC play. The Red Foxes improve to an equal 8-17 on the year and are now 6-11 in league play.
 
Rider started strong, jumping ahead in the opening quarter. Leading 10-9, Raphaela Toussaint (Kingston, Ontario/Lincoln Prep) scored an and-one and Amanda Mobley (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh) followed with a three-pointer as the Broncs led 19-14 after one.
 
Leading 2-15 in the second, Marist took control of the game. The Red Foxes went on a 16-0 that would prove to be decisive. Rider responded with a 6-0 run, including four points by Lenaejha Evans (Conway, SC/Conway) that pulled the Broncs to within four, but they would never draw that close again. Marist built the lead back to 36-28 at the half.
 
Marist poured it on in the second half, building their lead as large as 17 as the quarter came to a close with the Red foxes up 55-38.
 
Trailing 57-40, the Broncs did not go away quietly. Rider used a 13-5 run to get back within striking distance. Down 65-53, Evans made a lay-up, then Toussaint stole an errant pass and made a lay-up on the other end. After a pair of made free throws by Marist, Evans hit another layup and was fouled. She converted the old-fashioned three-point play to cut the lead to seven. After Marist made just one of two at the line, Toussaint scored again to cut the lead to six. Toussaint then forced a jump ball to give Rider possession with 16 seconds remaining, but a Bronc turnover on the ensuing possession ended the comeback effort.
 
Quotes & Notes
 
"Disappointing loss. Marist played really good and we played really bad."
 
"We got out toughed and just didn't play a good basketball game."
 
"The message for us wasn't that we fought hard and played a better fourth quarter and came back, it's that we put ourselves in a position that we didn't need to be in. And yes we fought back, we were down six with the ball after being down 17."  – Head Coach Lynn Milligan
 
"We tried to pressure up in the fourth quarter and it allowed me to get into passing lanes and forces those steals."
 
"We just didn't capitalize on our defense and turn that into offense."
 
"Consistency, we just need to be together and be consistent." – Sophomore forward Raphaela Toussaint
 
"We're not going into the game with a different mindset, we are still trying to fight. They just threw a punch before we could."
 
"We just got back into our flow. Our energy was great, and we just had the mentality to fight back. Of course we fight back." – Junior guard Jessika Schiffer
 
- Marist extends its lead in the all-time series to 47-19.
- Toussaint had a career-high six steals.
- Evans tied a career-high with a pair of blocks.
- Evans scored in double-figures for a team-high 18^th game this season, and fourth in a row.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider shot 41.2% (21-51) from the field, and was 30.8% (8-26) from three. Marist was 43.6% (24-55) from the field, and 333.3% (6-18) from deep.
- The Broncs had 13 assists on their 21 made baskets, led by six from Mobley.
- Evans led all scorers with 21. She was joined in double figures by 18 from Toussaint and 12 from Jessika Schiffer (Iserlohn, Germany/Deutschhaus Gymnasium Würzburg[Univ. at Buffalo]).
- Marist out-rebounded Rider 32-30, and the Red Foxes had an 11-8 edge on the offensive glass.
- Anna Ekerstedt (Varberg, Sweden/Marks Gymnasiekola[Broward College]) had three blocks in the game.
 
Up Next
- Rider is back in action Thursday with a trip to Iona for a 7 p.m. tip.