Rider takes home first MAAC win, defeats Siena on the road

By Benjamin Shinault

For the first time since Dec. 2, Rider women’s basketball has picked up a win. On Jan. 8, the Broncs also picked up their first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win of the season with a 61-59 victory over the Saints of Siena College. 

Coming into the 11 a.m. tip-off, Siena was undefeated in MAAC play at 4-0, giving the Broncs a much needed confidence boost after their upset victory as the MAAC calendar rolls out.

Throughout the whole game, it was tight, but the Broncs came out on top by the end of the first quarter, 16-12. Junior guard Deb Okechukwu was a threat in the first quarter for the Saints, as she scored seven of the Broncs’ 16 first quarter points.

Both teams stepped up their defensive efforts in the second quarter, as Rider could only score eight points, while holding Siena to 11. 

Siena crawled back during the second quarter to tie it up at 16-16. Soon after that, the Saints hit a 3-pointer to go up 19-18. The Saints then added two more after a jumpshot in the paint, but after that, Rider would then hold Siena scoreless for the final minute and a half of the second quarter and would take the lead into halftime, 24-23.

The third quarter came up, and so did the scoring, as both teams fought tooth-and-nail for the lead. Siena opened up the scoring with a layup and the Broncs responded with points from freshman guard Alena Cofield and Okechukwu to get out to a 30-25 lead.

A couple moments later, Siena hopped out to a five-point lead themselves, going up 35-30 after hitting a 3-pointer. 30 seconds later, sophomore guard Emmy Roach hit a 3-pointer of her own, which was followed by a layup by Cofield to knot it up at 35-35.

From there, the lead changed two more times, but Rider would come out on top by the end of the third quarter scoring fest, 43-40.

Rider came out swinging in the fourth quarter, getting out to their biggest lead of the game, 46-40. Siena would then crawl back with some free throws and a layup to bring the score to 46-44 with under eight minutes to go. In their next possession, the Saints tied it up at 46.

In Rider’s next possession, they took the lead right back, thanks to graduate student forward Kristina Ekofo. Siena would then strike back in return and take the lead with a free throw and a 3-pointer to go up 50-48 with under six minutes to play. The Broncs got a stop and Cofield laid one up and tied it again at 50.

Now at 50-50 with just under six minutes to go, Siena went on a 7-0 run to go up 57-50 with four minutes to go, limiting the Broncs’ chances, but the game was not over.

After buckets from Ekofo and Cofield, Siena stopped its bleeding and scored to put themselves up by five, 59-55 with just under three minutes to go.

With under two minutes left, the Broncs turned up the heat. Ekofo splashed a 3-pointer to bring the score to 59-57 in favor of Siena and 39 seconds later, Cofield hit another 3-pointer to put Rider up top 60-59 with one minute and 15 seconds to go. 

Cofield was lights out against the Saints as she scored a career-high 18 points and seven rebounds.

“I just really wanted to win,” Cofield told Rider Athletics.

The Broncs locked all the doors on Siena and they would not score again, giving Rider their first win in over a month.

“I’m really proud of our players and our fight at the end. We’ve been close in a couple of these games, and to pull one out, I’m just really proud,” Head Coach Jackie Hartzell said to Rider Athletics.

The Broncs will look to build upon this hard-fought road victory going into their next matchup against Marist College on Jan. 10. Tip-off will be at 2 p.m.