Rider drops fourth straight, Ekofo drops 32
By Benjamin Shinault
In the first of a two-game home stand, Rider women’s basketball dropped its fourth straight game in a loss to Mount Saint Mary’s University on Jan. 29. Despite a career-high 32 points from graduate student Kristina Ekofo, the Broncs have fallen to 2-10 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play.
The Mountaineers got on the Broncs early on in the game with a 14-6 lead. Rider, showing some fight early, went on a 8-0 run, sparked by a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Amany Lopez. Rider, after the run, was able to hold the Mountaineers scoreless until the end of the first quarter and ended it in a tie at 14-14.
The second quarter was tight as Mount Saint Mary’s narrowly outscored the Broncs 15-12.
Ekofo scored more than half of the Broncs’ second quarter points with her seven. Ekofo also put the Broncs in front for the first time after a 3-pointer with just under four minutes to go in the second.
After a layup and a set of free throws, the Mountaineers grabbed back the lead and carried it into the halftime break.
The Mountaineers came out to play in the third quarter as they, once again, outscored the Broncs, 23-17. The lead was tossed around to begin the quarter, as it was swapped between teams, but Mount Saint Mary’s created some separation and got out to a nine-point lead to close out the quarter, 52-43.
Ekofo, once again, carried the Broncs’ offense throughout the third quarter, as she scored 10 of the team’s 17 points.
The buzzer sounded to end the third quarter as the Broncs trailed. The fourth quarter was more of the same for the Broncs, as the defense could not collect stops for the offense. Rider’s offense in the final quarter of the game played well, as it shot 42% from the field and laced two of its five 3-point attempts, but it was not enough.
The Mountaineers’ offense, on the other hand, did not play their best basketball in the fourth quarter, but did just enough to scrape by Rider’s defense.
Ekofo and her nine points in the fourth quarter fell short, as the Broncs lost to Mount Saint Mary’s, 70-59.
Ekofo would finish the game with a career-high 32 points. Ekofo is now the last player to record at least 32 points since Stella Johnson, 20‘, in the 2020 season.
with her 32 points, Ekofo was recognized by the MAAC as the Air Force Reserve Player of the Week.
“I was where I was supposed to be, and whenever I was open, I was just taking my shots,” Ekofo said.
Despite the loss, Head Coach Jackie Hartzell was proud of the team’s effort, especially Ekofo’s.
“ [The Mountaineers] are a really good team, and we had some lapses tonight, and a good team is going to make you pay. Obviously, Kris was a major positive tonight. We were consistent tonight, so now it’s just cleaning it up defensively,” Hartzell said.
The Broncs will look to snap the four-game skid as they are set to take on the Manhattan University Jaspers at home on Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
