LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University women's basketball team needed an extra five minutes, but overcame Marist on Senior Day, 66-63. The Broncs end the regular season at 9-20 overall and 6-14 in MAAC play. The Red Foxes close out the regular season at 12-17 overall, and 8-12 in league games.
An early bucket by
Raphaela Toussaint (Kingston, Ontario/Lincoln Prep), followed by a three from
Amanda Mobley (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh) got the Broncs out to a 5-0 lead, but a 6-0 run to close out the quarter gave Marist a 13-11 lead.
The Red Foxes then scored the first five points of the second, making it an 11-0 run. Leading 20-15, Marist went on an 8-0 run, taking a 28-15 lead, it would be the largest of the day for Marist. The Broncs immediately countered with an 8-0 run of their own, getting threes from
Sofie Bruintjes (Zwolle, The Netherlands/CTO Amsterdam) and
Maya Hyacienth (Nottingham, UK/City of London Academy), followed by a bucket from
Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood). Marist would lead 30-23 at the half.
Down 32-23, Rider went on a 6-0 run, with four points by Firebaugh to pull within three. A Toussaint and-one would get the lead down to just two, but Marist would extend the advantage back to 42-36 after three.
Down 44-38, Rider went on a 12-2 run, capped by a three from
Jessika Schiffer (Iserlohn, Germany/Deutschhaus Gymnasium Würzburg [Buffalo]) that put Rider up 50-46. Down 53-49, Marist scored five-straight points, taking a one-point lead with just over a minute to play. With 35 seconds remaining,
Victoria Toomey (Dunmore, PA/Dunmore) drew a foul and made both shots, giving the Broncs a one-point advantage. After Rider forced a turnover, Mobley made one of two at the line, before Kiara Fisher sank a layup with 2.4 seconds left to tie the game 56-56. Firebaugh got a look at a floater that would have beat the buzzer, but it would not fall and the game headed to the extra session.
After Marist scored to open the overtime, Firebaugh drained a three, then converted an and-one and the Broncs would never trail again. A Toomey layup followed by a pair of free throws by Toussaint made it 66-60. Fisher drained a three with 36 seconds remaining, and after a defensive stop, the Red Foxes got two looks from three to tie the game, but both missed and the Broncs secured the victory.
Quotes & Notes
"Really pleased with the win today. To get a tough, hard-fought battle on your home floor, last game of the season for our seniors. We've had some tough losses on that floor this year, and to end the season in the fashion did, I'm really proud and it makes it special."
"We call them 'Remember When' moments, and we wanted to create a 'Remember When' moment today. When they get together in 10, 15 years, they will remember when we won on senior day in overtime."
"I went into the huddle [before overtime], I just told them 'great job'. We executed the play we wanted, but just didn't hit the shot. We got really aggressive in overtime, doing what we needed to do to be successful."
– Head Coach Lynn Milligan
"Last home game, you want to give everything you have. Coach kept me out there, and that's what we were trying to do."
"Obviously, it's going to be fight. It's hard to beat a team three times in a season. It's going to be about who wants it more."
– Graduate Guard Amanda Mobley
- Rider sweeps the season series, and cuts Marist's lead in the all-time series to 47-21.
- Toomey led the Broncs with 19 points, her 12
th game in double figures this season.
- Firebaugh finished with 16 points, her 20
th game in double figures this season. The layup as part of her and-one in overtime was her 1,000
th career point, making her the 24
th player in program history to reach the milestone.
- Toussaint added 12 points for her 20
th game with double digits this year.
- Prior to the game, the team honored it's graduating senior class of Mobley, Hyacienth,
Sophia DeMauro (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Academy), and
Anna Ekerstedt (Varberg, Sweden/Marks Gymnasieskola[Broward College])
Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider shot 38.5% (25-65) from the field, and 22.7% (5-22) from three. The Red Foxes shot 37.1% (23-62) from the floor, and went 23.5% (4-17) from behind the arc.
- The Broncs held a 40-35 advantage on the glass, including a 9-8 lead in offensive boards. Mobley had nine boards to lead the Broncs.
- The Broncs had 16 assists on their 25 made baskets, led by seven from Mobley.
- Mobley and Toussaint each had two blocks.
Up Next
- The Broncs and Red Foxes will play again Tuesday in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament. The game is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
