Blogs > The Full-Court Press
Welcome back to the Trentonian's Full-Court Press blog. Yes, we're still alive, and with the 2015-16 season rapidly approaching, it's time to fire up the old blog for another season. Check back here throughout the year for updates on all things Rider and Princeton, including coverage of both the MAAC and Ivy League. Feel free to drop me a line on twitter @kj_franko (https://twitter.com/kj_franko) or email kfranko@trentonian.com.
Friday, March 8, 2013
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — On a Friday afternoon in which the shooting for
the Rider women matched the weather outside and a 17-point deficit
glared at them midway through the second half, it was a feat in and of
itself that they were ultimately in a one-possession game with 14
seconds left.
But a jumbled final possession resulted in Sironda Chambers having
her 3-point attempt to force overtime blocked and the Broncs were
bounced out of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament, 59-54, by
Niagara in the quarterfinals here at the MassMutual Center.
“We didn’t put our best foot forward today,” said a disappointed
coach Lynn Milligan, whose squad was the fourth seed and in the
quarterfinals for the first time since 2004-05.
Following the Purple Eagles’ 20th and final turnover, Rider had the
ball with 14.6 seconds left down 57-54, but when it couldn’t get a
clean look, Milligan called timeout with 6.4 ticks remaining.
Chambers received the ball in the right corner and tried to force up a
3 that never had a chance. Niagara grabbed the rebound, got the ball to
its best foul shooter, Meghan McGuiness, and she knocked down both free
throws.
“(Sironda) thought she had a good look,” said Milligan, who
designed the play to have an option for freshman sharpshooter Mikal
Johnson coming off a screen. “She tried to draw some contact and it
ended up not being a great look for her. She’s a senior and she wanted
to take the last shot.”
Fifth-seeded Niagara (15-15) also swept the season series.
It advances to face top-seeded Marist (24-6) in the semifinals
Saturday. Those two met in the same round last year and the Red Foxes
survived in overtime.
“It’s tournament time,” said Niagara forward Lauren Gatto, who
finished with 14 points despite sitting the final 13:20 of the first
half with two fouls. “Nothing that happened in the regular season really
matters anymore. It’s pretty much the same position we were in last
year and I think we know we’re completely capable of beating them.”
Assistant Corrine Jones is serving as acting head coach while Kendra Faustin is on maternity leave.
McGuinness led the Purple Eagles with 15 points, including 6 of 6
from the line in the final three minutes. Niagara finished 17 of 19 on
free throws.
MyNeshia McKenzie scored 22 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for
the Broncs (15-15), while Chambers finished with 14 and Caitlin Bopp
added 10 and grabbed 12 boards.
Rider, which didn’t record a field goal in the second half until the
12:27 mark, almost erased a 17-point deficit despite shooting a woeful
27.6 percent by turning to its press.
The Broncs used a 12-0 run to slice the Niagara lead to five with
7:44 to play before the Purple Eagles pushed it back to 10 at the final
media timeout.
Still, Rider kept coming and McKenzie converted two conventional
three-point plays, the last of which using a circus shot that cut the
deficit to 57-54.
With 51 seconds remaining, Rider chose not to foul and Kayla Stroman
missed a jumper, but after McKenzie grabbed the rebound, Stroman stole
the ball. But Stroman in her haste to dribble away from defenders
stepped out of bounds, setting the Broncs up for a chance to force
overtime.
“We’re always going to fight, we’re always going to battle,” McKenzie
said. “We’re never going to lay down and let a team think we have this
game won.”
Rider’s 15 wins are its most since joining the MAAC and the highest totals since a 16-12 campaign in 1994-95.
“Obviously, it’s a disappointing end for us,” Milligan said. “But
we’re not going to let this game define our season and the steps I think
we took as a program.”
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home