December 10, 2006 - Loyola 70 Rider 59
December 10, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Women’s College Basketball
Loyola College 70, Rider University 59
LAWRENCEVILLE—The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Loyola Sunday afternoon. “It’s just a matter of determination, desire and heart,” said Tori Harrison. “We are trying to fix something that’s not broken. We just need to execute better.”
Holding a 57-55 lead with 4:10 remaining, Loyola (4-5, 1-1 MAAC) went on a 7-0 run, four points by senior guard Brittany Dunn, to take a 64-55 lead with 2:30 left to play. Dunn finished with nine points, six assists and four steals.
Junior Kelli Sawyer (Philadelphia, PA/Friends Select) led the Broncs with 14 points off the bench.
“It's really simple,” said Sawyer. “We have to stay together and execute on offense and keep working hard on defense. We need to carry the momentum of the second half today into the game at Princeton Tuesday night. We did battle back from an 18 point deficit but as important as battling back was, we also have to remember the mistakes we made to get down by 18 in the first place.”
Trailing 51-34 mid-way through the second half, Rider (0-7, 0-2 MAAC) went on a 17-2 run, eight points by junior Janele Henderson (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin), to cut the lead to 53-51 with 6:20 remaining, but that was as close as the Broncs could get. Henderson finished with 10 points, six rebounds and four steals.
“We just need to stay focused,” said Henderson “We can’t go six or seven minutes without a basket and get down by that much each game. We need to do the things that we are capable of doing and work within the system and execute plays on a more consistent basis.”
Rider led 20-19 before Loyola went on a 13-1 run, six points by freshman guard Erica DiClemente and five by senior guard Jill Glessner, to take a 32-21 lead, and the Greyhounds led 34-23 at halftime. Glessner led Loyola with 18 points, while DiClemente added 12 points off the bench.
“When we do the little things that we are supposed to, we have the potential to be a great team,” said Harrison. “We are trying to do too much in one play, trying for a ten point play instead of getting a good shot off and we can’t continue to do that. We can’t continue to take breaks in the middle of the game. The subs have to be able to carry out the same tasks as the starters. Instead of doing the things that got us back from the 18 point deficit, we started pressing and throwing the ball around and Loyola took advantage of those opportunities at the end.”
Sawyer came in off the bench and hit a pair of three-point field goals to lead a 12-4 Rider run, as the Broncs built a 12-8 lead after five minutes of play, and Sawyer’s foul shots gave the Broncs an 18-14 lead mid-way through the first half.
Sophomore Maura Gillooly (Fanwood/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) added eight points off the Rider bench.
“Once we get that first win, the players will relax more,” Harrison said. “They are pressing, trying for that first win and it’s difficult to play like that.”
“At times, you feel that you are so close to that win,” Sawyer added. “Once we get that win, it will pick us up even more but getting to that first win, you definitely feel some anxiety. We need to just relax and play.”
And play they will with the Broncs traveling to cross-town rival Princeton Tuesday night.
-RU-
