Broncs clinch one, drop two before MAAC play
By Josh Veltrie
Close games have been the theme this season for the women’s basketball team.
The Broncs (2-3 overall) beat Farleigh Dickinson 65-64 in overtime on Nov. 21. They were then defeated by Monmouth in overtime on Nov. 24 and Texas-Pan American on Dec. 1 by a combined margin of seven points.
“We learned as much from the win in overtime as we did from the loss in overtime,” said Head Coach Lynn Milligan.
Junior Tammy Meyers, who hit the game-winning layup with 2.2 seconds left in overtime against FDU, had a career-high 28 points and 10 rebounds in the win against the Knights. Meyers’ shot gave the Broncs a one-point lead and a come-from-behind victory for the team’s second win of the season.
“All the credit goes to the girls for executing that last-second play,” Milligan said. “We go over game situations in practice every day and they responded very well when they were put in the actual situation.”
The game featured five ties and eight lead changes in overtime. In regulation time, the Broncs held a 45-40 advantage on the boards with both teams compiling 12 offensive rebounds.
In the 50-48 overtime loss to Monmouth, Meyers and junior Amanda Sepulveda had 12 points each for the Broncs. Meyers missed a jump shot at the buzzer that would have forced a second overtime.
It was the first time since the 1989-90 season that Rider played two overtime games in a row.
It was a relatively sloppy game with the teams combining for 38 turnovers, 21 by the Broncs and 17 by the Hawks.
The Broncs came close again in the loss against Texas-Pan American. Down 11 with over seven minutes left, the team managed to tie the game with five minutes remaining. But Texas-Pan American was able to hold Rider without a field goal for the rest of the game.
“We need to get better on offense; we are way too inconsistent on the offensive end,” Milligan said. “Our defense was very good and we were getting good looks, we just have to be able to knock them down.”
Senior Shaunice Parker had her 10th career double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Meyers also had eight points and eight rebounds for the Broncs while sophomore Cintella Spotwood posted eight points and grabbed five rebounds.
The Broncs caused 23 turnovers and committed 21, as each team had nine steals.
Meyers was named MAAC Co-player of the Week for her effort in the overtime win against Fairleigh Dickinson. Meyers is in her second season at Rider after transferring from George Mason.
“Tammy is a big part of what we do,” Milligan said. “She is someone that the team turns to when we need a basket. As the season progresses, Tammy will continue to get better and be able to do more things for us.”
Rider has now lost two straight games, but the Broncs have a home game today against Iona in their first conference game. They then go to Baltimore to face Loyola on Sunday, Dec. 7.
