January 12, 2006 - Rider 49 Niagara 43
January 12, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Women’s College Basketball
Rider University 49, Niagara University 43
LAWRENCEVILLE--The Broncs responded to a tough defeat at Penn by winning a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game, defeating Niagara Thursday. “After the Penn game I told the players that this is a new season starting tonight. We came in thinking we were 0-0, and now we’re 1-0. This is the season we’ve been working for.”
Junior Monica Welborn (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin) scored 15 points to lead Rider to its first MAAC victory of the season. “I can’t speak highly enough of Monica,” said Harrison. “First of all, she wears my number 13. That’s the number I wore, so she has that going for her. But really, she always does the intangibles, and she shot the ball well tonight. She could be one of the best shooters in the league. It’s all a matter of confidence with Monica. Once she hit her first few shots she was feeling good.”
Welborn shot seven for 10 from the field and grabbed five rebounds. “We got her into positions tonight where she can score,” said Harrison. “I wasn’t thinking tonight, I just shot it and it felt good,” said Welborn.
With the score tied at 26-26, Rider (2-12, 1-4 MAAC) went on a 10-2 run, six points by junior Kara Borel (East Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg), to take a 36-28 lead with 14 minutes left to play. Borel finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Holding a 37-34 lead, Rider went on an 8-3 run, six points by freshman Danielle Costantino (Norristown, PA/Archbishop Carroll), to take a 45-37 lead with 4:00 left to play. “It felt good tonight,” said Harrison. “We finally put two halves of basketball together.”
Trailing 18-14, Rider went on a 10-2 run, six points by freshman Shaunice Parker (Waldorf, MD/West Lake), to take a 24-20 lead, and the Broncs led 24-22 at the half. Parker finished with 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
For Niagara (2-12, 1-4 MAAC), Michelle Manfredi compiled 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Rider travels to Iona Sunday for a 2pm MAAC game. “It’s hard losing when you’re working hard everyday and you’re not getting anything out of it,” said Welborn. “But games like tonight makes the hard work worth it and it makes us feel everything is going to fall into place from now on. We’re going to turn things around. We’re back on our feet.”
-RU-
