LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University women's basketball team fell to FDU Sunday afternoon, 62-54, in Alumni Gym. The Broncs fall to 1-7 on the year, while the Knights improve to 7-2.
 
Down 4-0 early in the first, the Broncs took the lead with a 10-2 run, getting four points from Aliya McIver (White Plains, NY/White Plains). Rider would maintain a 12-8 advantage after the opening 10 minutes.
 
The Knights came out firing to open the second, scoring the first 11 points of the frame to go ahead 19-12 and would take a 31-23 edge into the break.
 
Rider would get back into the game in the third. Camryn Collins (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) opened the half with a three, then back-to-back baskets by Gabby Turco (Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood Crest [La Salle/Saint Anselm]) and Winner Bartholomew (Abuja, Nigeria/Day Secondary School Birgi) trimmed the lead to just 31-30. After a 7-0 run extended the lead back up to eight, McIver scored four more points on a 6-0 run as Rider would trail 40-38 with 10 minutes to play.
 
Rider would take the lead briefly at 42-41 on a Collins basket, but the Knights then countered with a 9-0 run that the Broncs would never recover from.
 
Quotes & Notes
"Obviously we're not happy with the loss, but some things that we've been really locked in on this week in practice, we saw and this game really came down to the second quarter where they had those five threes. That was really the difference in the game. We ended up with more field goals than they did, and just they had more free throws than we did, and they had more threes than we did. But I thought overall, we defended really well. Today, we did a great job on Renninger. I mean, Brown had a good night, but she was 9-21, we had to make her work. She had to work for those buckets. She's a great player, and she did her job."
 
"I thought our fight was there. I thought our defense was there. We cleaned up the turnovers in the second half, ending up with 15. We had 12 at halftime. We've been talking about stringing four quarters together and breaking those quarters into sections. There are eight sections in a game, and the two in the second quarter, we didn't win either one of them. That's really what it came down to." – Head Coach Lynn Milligan
 
"I felt like it was a step in the right direction. We were connected, and it just didn't go how we wanted it to. I think this is setting us up for success later on. Having these closed games now is going to make us fight harder once MAAC play comes." – Freshman Guard Camryn Collins
 
"We all knew we had to fight and whoever was on the post, we had to help her out by not giving the other people any looks and just having good help side. And rebounding, we all focused on boxing out, and I think the guards stepped up really well to get those loose balls and get those rebounds that were more open. I think Aliyah did a great job at rebounding today. So, I think the guards definitely stepped up." – Senior Forward Mariona Cos-Morales
 
- The Knights tie the all-time series at 13-13.
- McIver set career highs in the game in points (9), rebounds (11), and assists (8) in the contest. It was her first career game reaching double-digit rebounds.
- Collins scored a career-high 13 points for her fifth game in double figures this season.
- Turco added 12 to reach double figures for the sixth time this season.
- Mariona Cos-Morales (Matadepera, Spain/IES Matadepera[Casper College]) tied a career high with five steals.
- Bartholomew made her first career start.
 
Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider shot 43.1% (22-51) from the field, and 37.5% (3-8) from three. The Knights shot 36.8% (21-57) from the field and 31.8% (7-22) from three.
- The Broncs had 14 assists on their 22 made baskets, led by McIver's eight.
- FDU outrebounded Rider 34-32, including an 11-6 edge in offensive boards. McIver's 11 led all players in the contest.
 
Up Next
Rider is back in action in Alumni Gym Saturday when the Broncs welcome Stonehill for a 6 p.m. contest.