BETHLEHEM, PA – The Rider University women's basketball team needed an extra five minutes, but dominated the extra session, topping Lehigh, 67-57, Saturday afternoon. The Broncs improve to 3-8 overall, while the Mountain Hawks fall to 8-3.
 
The overtime period was all Rider, with the Broncs opening the extra frame with an 11-0 run. Taylor Langan (Lake Hopatcong, NJ/Jefferson Township[Colgate/Millersville]) opened the extra session with a pair of free throws, then Mariona Cos Morales (Matadepera, Spain/IES Matadepera[Casper College]) made an old-fashioned three-point play. Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood) then added a layup, and Sanaa Redmond (Philadelphia, PA/The Shipley School[Samford]) capped the run with a pair of tough layups in traffic. A 5-0 run gave Lehigh brief life, but the Broncs hit their final four free throws and Firebaugh intercepted a pass on the final Lehigh possession to secure the win.
 
Langan scored the first eight points, including seven-straight during one stretch, for the Broncs as Rider built an early lead at 8-5. Back-to-back baskets by Cos-Morales gave Rider its largest lead of the quarter at 14-9. The Broncs got another bucket by Langan just before the quarter ended to lead 16-12 after the opening 10 minutes.
 
Lehigh opened the second with a 5-0 run to take a brief lead at 17-16, but Rider quickly responded with a 7-0 run of their own, capped by a three from Sofie Bruintjes (Zwolle, The Netherlands/CTO Amsterdam). The Broncs would extend the run to 12-3, with a Langan triple giving the Broncs their largest lead of the half at 28-20. Rider led 31-24 at the break.
 
With Rider leading 39-32 late in the third quarter, the Mountain Hawks went on a 7-0 run to close out the quarter, tying the game at 39-39 after three.
 
A 4-0 run by Lehigh early in the fourth gave Lehigh their largest lead of the game at 45-41, but Rider responded with a 5-0 run, including four points by Langan to retake the lead. The teams would again swap the lead with alternating basket before a Lehigh three gave the Mountain Hawks a 50-48 edge. Langan again had the answer for Rider with back-to-back buckets that gave Rider a 52-50 lead with just under three seconds remaining, but Lehigh took advantage of the time remaining to hit a driving layup and send the game to the extra session.
 
Quotes & Notes
"I'm just really proud of our effort. It started on the defensive end. We've been really locked in this week of practice. Our preparation and the way we came off a break said a lot about who this team is and who we want to be."
 
"To hold a team like Lehigh under 60, when they're averaging close to 80 a game, it shows what we're capable of when we're prepared and put our mind to it."

"I've been surrounded by some really phenomenal people from every coach I've had on my staff to the wonderful young ladies that I get to coach every day. I told them in the locker room, 'There is nobody that I'd rather share this with than this group.'"
 
"Overtime we put the pedal to the medal. Taylor, she was Superwoman today, and her teammates really stepped up in overtime. It's not just buckets, everybody had a piece in it."  – Head coach Lynn Milligan
 
"I give a lot of credit to our guards and our post players that allowed me to get open and have space to go downhill. They were putting me in the right position to be successful. All 13 of us bought in together and fought together."  – Graduate Guard Taylor Langan
 
- Rider trims the Lehigh lead in the all-time series to 21-11.
- With the win, Rider head coach Lynn Milligan records her 200^th career victory.
- Langan finished with 31 points and 16 rebounds, one off a career-high in both statistics, recording her second-straight double-double.
- Langan is the first Bronc with over 30 points since Firebaugh also scored 31 against Niagara in January of 2022, and the first to record 15 or more rebounds since Raphaela Toussaint had 15 in November of 2021.
- Firebaugh moved past Robin Perkins for 13^th on the program's all-time scoring list, now sitting with 1,151 for her career.
- After going 3-1 in overtime games in 2022-23, the Broncs won their first overtime contest this season.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider shot 38.1% (24-63) from the field, and 26.7% (4-15) from three, and the Mountain Hawks shot just 33.9% (21-62) from the field and 16.2% (6-37) from three.
- The Broncs had 13 assists on their 24 made baskets, led by five from Cos-Morales.
- Both teams finished with 42 rebounds, including 11 for each side on the offensive glass.
 
Up Next
- Rider returns to MAAC play Thursday when the Broncs host Iona at 7 p.m.