NEWARK, NJ – The Rider University women's basketball team fell in a close contest to NJIT by a score of 50-45. With the result, the Broncs start the young season with an overall record of 0-1 while the Highlanders start 2026-27 with a 1-0 record.
Aliya McIver started the season with a jumper in the paint less than 30 seconds into the season to start the Broncs off early. NJIT tied the game soon after before
Aina Perez Mesquida hit the Highlanders on the breakaway to regain the lead with 8:40 left in the first. The Broncs increased the lead to 8-4 with 5:36 left on the clock in the quarter thanks to two made free throws from McIver and a jumper from
Gabby Sweeney for her first points as a Bronc.
NJIT ended the quarter on a 14-3 run, with a three-pointer from Sweeney sending the Broncs into the first intermission down 18-11.
The Highlanders drew first blood in the second, making a tip-in to increase the lead to 20-11 with 8:54 remaining. Two minutes later,
Giana Hoddinott got her first points for Rider, making a three-pointer before Perez Mesquida scored in the paint to cut the deficit to 20-16.
The Broncs proceeded to claw their way back, as Hoddinott made a free throw and layup to bring the score back within one. Sweeney once again made a mid-range jumper to put Rider up 21-20 with 3:33 remaining in the half. NJIT regained the lead within the last three minutes, sending the Broncs into the locker room down 28-23.
NJIT went on a 9-1 run to start the third, with
Julia Karpell hitting a free throw to get her first point as a Bronc. Rider ended the Highlanders run as
Alena Cofield grabbed an offensive rebound and hooked the ball into the basket with 5:01 left to play in the third.
Rider once again fought back to send the teams into the final intermission down 39-32, with Cofield, Hoddinott, and McIver all scoring before time ran out in the third quarter.
A minute and a half into the fourth quarter, McIver hit a big three-pointer to cut the deficit to four. NJIT made a single free throw before Cofield stole the ball, hitting the Highlanders on the fast break to cut the deficit to three. NJIT jumped back out to the lead, with eight of their last 10 points coming from the free throw line as the Broncs fouled late. Hoddinott rounded out the scoring for the Broncs, making a layup while notching another three-pointer in the final thirty seconds of the game.
QUOTES & NOTES
"I thought we played really hard on both ends of the floor. Unfortunately, we missed a ton of shots. Credit to NJIT, they made more shots than we did, but I thought we really competed and played hard and gave ourselves a chance to win the game."
– Head Coach Jackie Hartzell
"We are a very new team with our eight new players, so we are still trying to find our way. But, we are looking to get contributions from a lot of different people and for us, it could be different people in each game. So, a couple people stepped up in tonight's game and, hopefully, other people will step up in future games."
– Head Coach Jackie Hartzell
- Hoddinott led the Broncs in scoring, notching 16 points while going 6-11 against the Highlanders. McIver went 2-12 from the field while knocking down all four of her free throws to total out at nine points. Cofield went 4-9 from the field, notching eight points while Sweeney totaled seven points.
- Sweeney led the way on the boards, grabbing 11 rebounds. McIver grabbed seven rebounds while Hoddinott grabbed five. Perez Mesquida grabbed four rebounds for the Broncs on the night in Newark.
- Sweeney also dished out five assists while notching a team-leading three steals against the Highlanders.
BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs went 17-67 from the field while going 4-18 from three. Rider knocked down seven of their 10 free throws.
- Rider outscored NJIT 18-8 from turnovers while being bested 24-20 in points in the paint. The Highlanders' bench scored 16 points on Monday night to the Broncs' eight points. The Broncs also fell 7-4 in fast-break points.
UP NEXT
The Broncs returns to action on Thursday, November 12, taking on Central Connecticut State in New Britain at 7:00 p.m.
