Women's Basketball
Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 6:00 pm
Rider Broncs (5-15, 3-8 MAAC) vs. Sacred Heart Pioneers (6-13, 2-8 MAAC)
Location: Alumni Gym (Lawrenceville, NJ)
Tip: 6:00 pm
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: 107.7 The Bronc
Live Stats: GoBroncs.com
Twitter: @RiderWBB
 
What You Need To Know
- Thursday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
- Gabby Turco (Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood Crest [Saint Anselm/La Salle]) has scored in double figures in seven-straight games, including a team-high 16 in the win over Saint Peter's. Last time out against Merrimack, Turco assisted on Emilee Tahata's (Springfield, Australia/Woodcrest State College [La Salle]) game-winning layup with 3.8 seconds left. Against Niagara, Turco scored a season-high 24 points to go along with seven rebounds.
 
- The Broncs were picked to finish ninth by the league's coaches in the preseason poll. The Broncs will have to deal with the loss of three starters from last year's team, including the loss of 62.8% of the team's scoring from a season ago.
 
- Against Stonehill, the Broncs trailed by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter before storming back with a 12-0 run, eventually winning 65-53. The comeback win was one of just six contests in NCAA Division I to that point that had seen double-digit point comebacks in the fourth quarter.
 
- The Broncs finished last season 10-21 with a 6-14 MAAC mark. The Broncs defeated Iona in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament.
 
- Rider has won at least one game in the MAAC Tournament in seven of the last eight seasons. The Broncs were named MAAC Champions for 2019-20 for the first time in program history.
 
- Aliya McIver (White Plains, NY/White Plains) did a little bit of everything against FDU, setting career-highs in points (9), rebounds (11), and assists (8). The sophomore had five points, six rebounds, and five assists in the second half that saw both teams score 31 points. McIver ranks in the top ten in the MAAC in both assists and assist to turnover ratio.
 
- Mariona Cos-Morales (Matadepera, Spain/IES Matadepara [Casper College]) tied a career-high with 14 points against LIU. The junior scored nine of her 14 in the fourth quarter. The now senior showed off her defense in the MAAC Tournament last year, with three blocks in the first-round win over Iona, then with a career-high five steals in the MAAC Quarterfinal against Iona.
 
- Kaylan Deveney (Medford, NJ/Life Center Academy) made the start in her Rider debut at Saint Joseph's last season, 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. She set a career-high with 15 points against BU.
 
- Sanaa Redmond (Philadelphia, PA/The Shipley School[Samford]) led the Broncs last season at 2.5 assists per game and led the Broncs in dimes in 12 of their contests. Redmond also valued ball security, with a 1.2 assist to turnover ratio. Redmond scored a season-high 13 points in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament last season against Iona.
 
- Seven Broncs made their official debut for the Broncs in the season opener against Navy. Transfers Tahata and Turco joined freshmen Camryn Collins (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro), Amany Lopez (Springfield, MA/South Shore Christian Prep), Emmy Roach (Littlehampton, Australia/Heathfield), Jocelyn Chavez (Surprise, AZ/Valley Vista), and Winner Bartholomew (Abuja, Nigeria/Day Secondary School Birgi).
 
- Turco led the Broncs with 21 points in the season opener against Navy. She was joined in double figures by Collins. Turco has scored in double figures in 14 games this season. Turco has been nearly automatic at the free throw line, currently second in the MAAC and ranking 12^th nationally at 92.5% from the charity stripe. This season is not an anomaly for the senior, who has knocked down 88.4% of her attempts at the line in her career. 
 
- Tahata had a career night against Bryant. The junior scored 12 of Rider's 15 points in the first six minutes of the contest on her way to career-highs in both points (16) and rebounds (7). Tahata previously set a career-high with five blocks against LIU.
 
- Bartholomew enjoyed playing Quinnipiac this season. In two games, the freshman averaged 16.0 points in the pair of games against the Bobcats with of her three double-digit scoring games this season coming in those contests. The freshman has led Rider in scoring twice this season.
 
- The Broncs had seven blocks against La Salle and are currently fifth in the MAAC at 3.2 blocks per game. Individually, Cos-Morales is 10^th in the MAAC at 0.8 blocks per contest.
 
- Collins has scored in double figures in eight games this season to start her career. She led the Broncs with a career-high 15 points at Merrimack. The Freshman ranks in the top 25 among all players in the MAAC in three-point percentage and steals.
 
- Sacred Heart, one of the two new additions to the MAAC for 2024-25, is 2-0 against the Broncs all-time as the teams will meet for the first time since the 2005-06 season Thursday. Kara Borel had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the most recent meeting. The Pioneers were the top seed in the NEC Tournament and won their three games in the NEC Tournament by a combined 83 points to claim the NEC Tournament title before falling in a first four matchup in the NCAA Tournament to Presbyterian in 2024.
 
- The Pioneers have struggled in their first season in the MAAC, currently 12th in the standings with a 2-8 MAAC record and 6-13 overall mark. Ny'Ceara Pryor is currently the MAAC's leading scorer at 18.7 points per game. She is also the team's leading rebounder at 6.2 per contest.