Rider winning streak ends with loss at Siena

By Kadie DiGiuseppe and Samantha Clark

Coming off its first win streak of the season, Rider women’s basketball split its weekend matchups, getting another home win over Sacred Heart 72-57 on Feb. 6, but losing to Siena, 68-49 on Feb. 8, bringing its conference record to 4-9 and sitting one game outside of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. 

 Dominant win

Freshman guard Camryn Collins got the first layup and steal for the Broncs, setting up senior guard Mariona Cos-Morales for an open basket, giving Rider the lead just 30 seconds in on Breast Cancer Awareness night. 

Sacred Heart responded with a 3-pointer and a made layup but Collins and Cos-Morales were not finished and both obtained their fourth points of the game on the next two sequences. 

Senior guard Gabby Turco knocked down her first 3-pointer of the night shortly after and was followed by a layup from senior guard Sanaa Redmond. 

Sophomore center Kaylan Deveney’s 3-pointer extended Rider’s lead to 14, ending the first quarter on top 23-8. 

Sacred Heart went on a 6-0 run to open up the second quarter, with Rider’s defensive efforts slipping away.

Freshman forward Winner Bartholomew sank a free throw and hit two field goals shortly after to gain her first points of the game and the Broncs’ first of the quarter. 

Sacred Heart broke the lead with back-to-back successful shots, however, Turco quickly tied the game with two layups. 

Collins hit the final shot of the quarter, making her the leading scorer of the two quarters, and bringing the Broncs up 35-32 at the half.

Rider began the third quarter strong, holding Sacred Heart scoreless for the first four minutes and continuing on an 18-3 run.

A series of lay-ups by Bartholomew widened the gap, allowing the Broncs to strengthen and hold on to their lead.

This strong performance later got lost in transition with Sacred Heart going on a 10-0 run for two minutes deep in the third.

Sophomore guard Aliya McIver ended the Broncs’ scoring drought with her layup at the 12-second mark, giving Rider a slight five-point lead.

The Broncs started the final quarter with two wide open layups by Cos-Morales and Collins, who tied her career high with 13 points. 

“We had said in the locker room that we were going to need to value each possession and just make sure we get good looks and stops,” said Collins. 

Bartholomew also tied her career high of 17 points with a layup, bringing the Broncs up by 16. She was awarded Metro Atlantic Conference rookie of the week for her efforts. 

A trio of layups by Rider ended the game, making the final score, 72-57.

“You always want to be peaking in February,” Head Coach Lynn Milligan said, “We’re still learning. We’re still growing. There’s still things we got to clean up.”

Stopping the stampede

Fresh off three wins, the Broncs traveled to Loudonville, New York, to take on the Siena Saints who started off the game with a 9-3 run. 

The Broncs worked up the score to 9-9 with contributions from Bartholomew and Turco. 

However, the Saint Bernards responded with a run of their own, bringing the end of the first quarter to 21-11. 

The runs did not stop from there. Junior forward Emilee Tahata scored the only two points of the first seven minutes of the second quarter while Siena extended its lead to 21 points. 

Cos-Morales finished off the first half adding four more points to end the second half trailing 35-19. 

In the third quarter, the Saints extended its lead to 23 and the Broncs found it hard to come back from the lengthy lead. 

Siena kept the lead over 18 points the whole quarter which ended with a layup by freshman guard Amany Lopez. 

Bartholomew and Cos-Morales combined for 23 while Turco added nine of her own including the only 3-pointer for the Broncs. 

Rider will return home on Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. to take on the Iona Gaels. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.