Women's Basketball
Thursday, January 4, 2023 at 7:00 pm
Rider Broncs (3-8, 0-2 MAAC) vs. Iona Gaels (5-5, 0-1 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ (Alumni Gym)
Tip: 7:00 pm
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com
Live Audio: 107.7 The Bronc
Twitter: @RiderWBB
 
What You Need To Know
- Thursday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
- The Broncs moved to 2-0 against Patriot League opponents on the season with a 67-57 win over Lehigh in overtime last time out. Four Broncs combined for an 11-0 run to begin overtime in the victory.
 
- Rider was picked to finish tenth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Broncs return just two starters and only five members of last year's team.
 
- Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood) was named Preseason Second-Team All-MAAC. The 2020-21 MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year averaged 14.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last season. She scored 42 points across two games at the MAAC/ASUN Dublin Challenge to earn MAAC Player of the Week honors last year. In Rider's win over Merrimack, Firebaugh scored a game-high 19 points.
 
- Firebaugh scored a season-high 23 points after starting 4-for-4 from distance against FDU, scoring 12 points in the opening quarter. Her six made threes in the game tied a career high and moved her past Stella Johnson into fifth on Rider's career three-pointers made list. Last time out, Firebaugh passed Joanne Giordano to move into 14th on the program's career scoring list.
 
- Rider has made the MAAC Semifinals in five of the last seven seasons. The Broncs were named MAAC Champions for 2019-20 for the first time in program history.
 
- Over two-thirds of Jessika Schiffer's (Iserlohn, Germany/Deutschhaus Gymnasium Würzburg) shots at Rider (417-615) have come from three-point range. Her six made threes against Quinnipiac in 2021-22 are tied for the fifth-most in a game in program history. Against Quinnipiac, she made a pair of threes to move past Lexi Posset for ninth on the program's career three-pointers made list.
 
- Sofie Bruintjes (Zwolle, The Netherlands/CTO Amsterdam) made her first two career starts in the MAAC Tournament last season. She responded with six points, six rebounds, and two blocks in the win over Marist. In Rider's win over BU, Bruintjes hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining.
 
- Molly Lynch (Sea Girt, NJ/Rutgers Prep) made her first career start last season at Fairfield going two-for-two from behind the arc, and playing a career-high 32 minutes.
 
- Taylor Langan (Lake Hopatcong, NJ/Jefferson Township[Millersville/Colgate]) had arguably the best game by any player in the MAAC this season, leading the Broncs to victory over Lehigh with 31 points and 16 rebounds. The 31 points are the second-most and the 16 rebounds are the third-most in a game by a MAAC player this season. Langan's 31 points were the most for Rider since Makayla Firebaugh also had 31 in January of 2022 and the first 15-rebound performance by a Bronc since Raphaela Toussaint had 15 in November of 2021. Langan ranks fourth in the MAAC in scoring at 14.3 points per game this season and fifth in the MAAC at 7.7 rebounds per contest.
 
- Kaylan Deveney (Medford, NJ/Life Center Academy) made the start in her Rider debut at Saint Joseph's, scoring seven points and grabbing a board in 21 minutes of action. Deveney is the first true freshman to start in her Rider debut since Stella Johnson earned the start to begin her career in 2016. The freshman led Rider with 13 points at NJIT and tied her career high with 13 last time out.
 
- Sanaa Redmond (Philadelphia, PA/The Shipley School[Samford]) ranks 12th in the MAAC at 2.8 assists per game and has led the Broncs in dimes in six of their ten contests. Redmond has also valued ball security, holding a 1.3 assist to turnover ratio.
 
- The key number for the Broncs this season has been 60 points. The Broncs have won all three games in which they held their opponent under 60 points, and have fallen in each game they have allowed 60 or more.
 
- Iona leads the all-time series 34-24, including both meeting last season as the Gaels won the MAAC regular season and Tournament titles. The Gaels will look significantly different this season as reigning MAAC Coach of the Year Billi Chambers took a position at Xavier and reigning MAAC Player of the Year Juana Camillion departed due to graduation. In all, the Gaels top four scorers from a season ago are gone.
 
- The Gaels are 5-5 on the season, but lost their MAAC opener at home against Niagara. Sierra DeAngelo and Natalia Otkhmezurieach are each averaging double digits at 11.5 and 11.4 points per contest, respectively. DeAngelo is also the team's leading rebounder at 6.4 per game.