LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Behind a career-high 13 points from Molly Lynch (Sea Girt, NJ/Rutgers Prep) and a game-high 15 from Taylor Langan (Lake Hopatcong, NJ/Jefferson Township[Colgate/Millersville]), the Rider University women's basketball team defeated Manhattan Saturday afternoon, 58-54. The Broncs improve to 6-16 on the season and 3-10 in MAAC play, while the Jaspers drop to 15-7 overall and 8-5 in league games.
 
Leading 3-2 early in the game, Langan scored seven points during an 8-2 run that gave Rider an 11-4 advantage. As the first continued on, it was Lynch with a pair of threes that prevented the Jaspers from making any kind of run. Up 17-15, Aliya McIver (White Plains, NY/White Plains) hit a three to start a 5-0 run that closed out the quarter with the Broncs leading 22-15.
 
Langan added the first-two points of the second quarter, extending the run to 7-0. Leading 26-19 midway through the second, Mariona Cos-Morales (Matadepera, Spain/IESMatadepera[Casper College]), Sanaa Redmond (Philadelphia, PA/The Shipley School[Samford]), and Makayla Firebaugh (Winchester, VA/James Wood) each scored during a 6-0 run that put the Broncs up 13. A basket by Langan about a minute later gave Rider its largest lead of the game at 34-20. Rider led 36-24 at the break.
 
Manhattan came back out of the break, outscoring the Broncs 15-4 over the first eight minutes of the third quarter to pull within one at 40-39. The Broncs would maintain the lead at 44-41 with just ten minutes to play.
 
Both offenses started to stall in the fourth with just five combined points in the opening three minutes of the quarter when Firebaugh came off a screen and nailed a step-back three to put Rider on top 49-44 with 6:55 to play. The Jaspers countered with a 7-0 run, capped by a three with 5:12 remaining that gave Manhattan its first lead of the contest. Buckets by Lynch and Kaylan Deveney (Medford, NJ/Life Center Academy) had Rider back in front 53-51 with 3:27 to play before a three-point play by Manhattan's Petra Juric gave Manhattan a 54-53 lead with 2:52 remaining. The score remained unchanged into the final minute where the Broncs went 5-for-6 at the line, while forcing a Jasper turnover and holding Manhattan to two missed shots down the stretch to secure the victory.
 
Quotes & Notes
"You just saw two teams that really went though it this week with injuries and sickness and hats off to every young lady that had a Rider and Manhattan uniform on today. We preach adversity when things are tough and you saw two teams do that really well."
 
"It was really important that we came out in the first quarter and executed the way we did. Molly went three-for-three in that first quarter and that helped because every time they scored a bucket we were able to answer. I've said it a million times, every day for the last four years, I know exactly what I'm getting from Molly Lynch." – Head coach Lynn Milligan
"I've been putting in the extra work, plus I've been really focusing on just getting stops ad being that person on defense, so it helps me flow better offensively because I'm not really thinking, I'm just playing and my teammates are finding me." – Senior Guard Molly Lynch
 
"I came in today trying to bring to bring energy and have a good mindset, whether that was me giving 120% of my voice, I look at today as a little bit different than a normal gameday. Today was about showing up and being a leader." – Graduate Guard Taylor Langan
 
- Rider snaps a seven-game Manhattan winning streak in the all-tie series, trimming the deficit to 37-21 all time.
- Langan's 15 points marks the 18^th time she has reached double figures this season.
- Lynch has now reached double figures twice this season. Her three three-pointers made is also a career-high.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Rider shot 37.5% (21-56) from the field, and 42.9% (6-14) from three, and the Jaspers shot 34.5% (20-58) from the field and 31.3% (5-16) from three.
- The Broncs had 13 assists on their 21 made baskets, led by a career-high five from McIver.
- Manhattan won the rebounding battle, 38-35, including an 11-10 advantage on the offensive glass. Langan had eight boards to lead Rider.
 
Up Next
- Rider returns to action Thursday with a trip to Iona for 6 p.m. tip on ESPNU.