Women's Basketball
Thursday, February 1, 2024 at 7:00 pm
Rider Broncs (5-13, 2-7 MAAC) vs. Fairfield Stags (17-1, 9-0 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ (Alumni Gym)
Tip: 7:00 pm
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: 107.7 TheBronc
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com
Twitter: @RiderWBB
 
What You Need To Know
- Thursday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and is sponsored by the Law Office of Mark A. Kriegel.
 
- The Broncs were stopped for the fourth-straight game last time out against Saint Peter's, 68-58, despite a career-high 12 points from Molly Lynch (Sea Girt, NJ/Rutgers Prep). Lynch added four rebounds, two assists, and a steal in the contest.  
 
- Taylor Langan (Lake Hopatcong, NJ/Jefferson Township[Millersville/Colgate]) lead the Broncs to victory over Iona with 25 points and 18 rebounds. The 18 rebounds are the second-most in a game by a MAAC player this season. Combined with 26 points from Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood), the duo was the first Bronc pair to score 20+ in a game since Lenaejha Evans (30) and Raphaela Toussaint (23) at Niagara in January 2022 and the first Rider duo to score 25+ in a contest since Stella Johnson (35) and Amari Johnson (28) against Mount St. Mary's in November 2018. Langan ranks fourth in the MAAC in scoring at 14.3 points per game this season and second in the MAAC at 8.7 rebounds per contest.
 
- Firebaugh 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 then 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. Firebaugh passed both Kamila Hoskova and Jennifer Feeney for eighth on Rider's all-time scoring list last time out against Saint Peter's.
 
- 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.
 
- 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 (455-672) 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 Saint Peter's, she made a trio of threes to move past Mere Eberspeacher for seventh 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.
 
- 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 set a career-high with 14 points against Canisius.
 
- Sanaa Redmond (Philadelphia, PA/The Shipley School[Samford]) leads the Broncs at 2.7 assists per game and has led the Broncs in dimes in seven contests. Redmond has also valued ball security, holding a 1.3 assist to turnover ratio.
 
- The Broncs have been at their best when their defense has been on point. Rider is unbeaten this season when allowing under 60 points.
 
- Aliya McIver (White Plains, NY/White Plains) set career highs with six points and three steals against Siena. McIver was a perfect 2-for-2 from the field and added a pair of free throws in the effort. The freshman tied her career-high with three steals against Niagara.
 
- Mariona Cos-Morales (Matadepera, Spain/IES Matadepera[Casper College]) tied a career-high with nine points against Niagara. The Juco transfer scored eight of her nine points in the second half of that contest, and earned the start at Saint Peter's.
 
- Fairfield leads the all-time series 45-13. The Stags swept the Broncs in their pair of games in each of the last three seasons, but the Broncs have been competitive during the series. Last year in Lawrenceville, the teams played a double-overtime thriller, featuring a double-double by Raphaela Toussaint and a 20-point performance by Makayla Firebaugh.
 
- The Stags enter Thursday's game on a 15-game winning streak and are receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches polls. The Stags are led offensively by Meghan Anderson. The nine-time MAAC Rookie of the Week leads the MAAC at 17.9 points per game. She also leads the team at 5.7 rebounds per contest.