Women’s College Basketball: Iona College 76, Rider University 63

LAWRENCEVILLE – The Rider University women’s basketball team lost to Iona College 76-63 Sunday afternoon (March 3) in the regular season finale at Alumni Gymnasium. The Broncs honored their four graduating seniors prior to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.

Rider’s seniors scored 11 of the team’s first 14 points, eight points by Caitlin Bopp (Baltimore, Md./Inst. of Notre Dame) and three by Sironda Chambers (Wilmington, Del.).   

Bopp compiled her 25th career ‘double-double’ and seventh of the season, scoring 20 points with 16 rebounds, nine on the offensive glass.  Bopp added four blocks and two steals in 29 minutes of action.  Chambers finished with 11 points, three assists, two steals and two rebounds in 34 minutes.

Leading 14-12, Iona (18-11, 13-5 MAAC) used a 12-2 run, six points by senior Diana Hubbard, to take a 26-14 lead with 8:51 left in the first half.  

Trailing 26-14, Rider (15-14, 10-8 MAAC) used an 8-3 run over two minutes, four points by Bopp, to get within seven 29-22 with 6:01 left in the first half.

Iona ended the half scoring 10 of the next 16 points, seven points by sophomore Damika Martinez to take a 39-28 lead at the intermission.

Martinez hit a three-pointer with 17:03 left in the game to record her 1,000th career point, the fastest ever at Iona. The MAAC’s leading scorer is the 23rd player in Gael history to reach the mark and she finished with 22 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Trailing 48-37, Rider used a 5-0 run, three points by sophomore Emily Fazzini (Wayne, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) to cut the lead to six 48-42 with 14:49 left. That was as close as the Broncs would get the rest of the way.  Fazzini finished with nine points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in 27 minutes.

Also for the Broncs, junior MyNeshia McKenzie (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Delco)) recorded her 25th career double-double’ and 13th of the season, finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds, five on the offensive glass.

Ride had 14 assists on 25 made field goals.  The Broncs out-rebounded the Gaels 46-37, 21-10 on the offensive glass.

Every senior for the Broncs scored on the afternoon.

Senior Carleigh Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) moved into second place on the Broncs’ career games played list with 118. She finished with four points, two rebounds and two assists in 12 minutes.

Senior Dior Brown (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) finished with two points, one rebound and a block in 17 minutes.

Rider lost to Iona 88-58 this year in New Rochelle, New York on ESPN3.  The Gaels have won seven straight games and head into the MAAC tournament as the #2 seed.  Iona has won 23 of the 36 games in the all-time series and have defeated the Broncs three straight times.

The Broncs open MAAC tournament play Friday March 8 at 3:30 pm at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.  The #4 seeded Broncs will take on the #5 seeded Purple Eagles of Niagara.  The Purple Eagles swept the Broncs this season62-58 and 64-59.