Women's Basketball
Thursday, January 5, 2022
Rider Broncs (4-9, 1-3 MAAC) vs. Iona Gaels (8-5, 3-1 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ (Alumni Gym)
Tip: 7:00 p.m.
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com
Broadcast: ESPN+
Radio: 107.7 TheBronc
Twitter: @RiderWBB
 
 
What You Need To Know
- Thursday night's game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
- Last time out, Amanda Mobley (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh) tied a career-high with 12 assists and all five starters scored in double figures, as the Broncs topped Saint Peter's, 87-52. Mobley currently leads the MAAC and ranks ninth nationally at 6.8 assists per game.
 
- 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.
 
- 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. 78 of her 112 shots this season have come from deep. Schiffer scored a season-high 19 points against Lehigh.
 
- The Broncs lead the MAAC and rank 71st nationally entering the weekend, knocking down 7.5 threes a game. Maya Hyacienth (Nottingham, United Kingdom/City of London Academy) leads the conference in three-point percentage at 55.6%. Schiffer is second in the MAAC with 31 made triples. In addition, Firebaugh has 30, Mobley has 11, and Toussaint and Hyacienth each have 10.
 
- ToniRenee Blanford (Montclair, NJ/The Patrick School[Union College]) scored a season-high 11 points and added a season-high eight rebounds at Seton Hall.
 
- Iona was the thorn in the Broncs' side last season, taking all three meetings, including the matchup in the MAAC Tournament, 74-58. The Gaels have taken five-straight between the programs and hold a 32-24 edge all-time.
 
- The Gaels are 8-5 on the season, including a 3-1 start to MAAC play. As expected, Iona has been led by reigning MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and Second-Team All-MAAC selection, Juana Camilion. Camilion leads the Gaels at 13.8 points per game. Ketsia Athias is averaging 13.0 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds per contest.