January 27, 2007 - Saint Peter's 71 Rider 56
January 27, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Women’s College Basketball
Saint Peter's College 71, Rider University 56
TRENTON—The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game against Saint Peter’s Saturday afternoon at Sovereign Bank Arena. "We had the opportunity to win the game today," said head coach Tori Harrison. "And with the team not doing the little things, rebounding, going through screens and boxing out, those were the reasons we didn’t come out on top."
For Rider (1-19, 0-9 MAAC), senior Kara Borel (East Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) had her eighth career ‘double-double’ with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
"I am really proud of Kara," said Harrison. "She had a ‘double-double’ today and she is leading and the others need to follow. She could have given up and folded the tent and she hasn’t. She is all about making the team better this year while also teaching the players the skills that they are going to need after she graduates. You’ll see it down the road when the current players become juniors and seniors how important the sacrifices Kara and Monica [Welborn] have made for our team as seniors. It’s like having two extra coaches on the floor and they are very good at teaching by example with strong work ethic and desire."
"It’s tough," said Kara Borel who recently played in her 100th career game and is third all-time in rebounds and 12th all-time on the Bronc assist list. "We know we have the ability to put wins together and we are working to remain positive because if you love the game and I absolutely love basketball, that’s all you can bring to the table, a good work ethic and a love of what you are doing. The wins may not come this year but I want to be known as a player who had a blue-collar work ethic and who was able to make the players who follow me better."
Tied at 41-41 with 14:05 left in the game, Saint Peter’s (8-10, 4-5 MAAC) went on a 10-0 run, four points by Natasha Morris to take a 51-41 lead with 8:30 left. Morris finished with 10 points and four rebounds. Up 10 with 1:54 left, the Peahens closed the game on a 7-2 run for the final score.
"I hate losing," Harrison added. "But I owe it to the kids not to get frustrated. We are young but that’s an excuse. And we’re not about excuses. Yes, we haven’t had our whole team since the first game of the season against Rice but again that’s an excuse. We are about playing hard, doing the little things and doing the right things and until we put all of that together, games like today will continue to occur. We are trying to remain positive because I owe it to the seniors to continue to try and get better and go out on a positive note and we are going to keep working, one day at a time and one game at a time. It may not come in terms of wins but you will be able to see the sacrifices that the team made this year when we play in the next few years to come."
The Peahens opened the game with a 9-4 run in the first 3:30, eight of the nine points by Elyse Siciliano. Siciliano finished with a ‘double-double’ scoring 14 points with 11 boards.
"I love this game," added Harrison. "And that’s what keeps you coming out and working hard every day. We have to take our wins in different kinds of ways. If we get better at something in practice each day and keep building and learning, better things are going to start happening and that’s what we are striving for, to get better at something that we didn’t do the last time we played."
Saint Peter’s was led by Lauma Reke who also had a ‘double-double’ with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
"Each game we play, we are learning," Borel added. "A win really enforces those lessons however even if you do lose, you can take things out of the game that will make you better individually and make Rider better as a team and those are the things we are focused on. We need to keep growing as a team every game."
"We do the things we are supposed to do in practice," Harrison added. "But when it comes to games, we just don’t do it and we haven’t figured out why."
Trailing 13-8, Rider went on a 10-2 run, with five different players scoring to take an 18-15 lead mid-way through the first half.
The game was tied 29-29 at the half.
The Broncs have lost nine straight.
Also for Rider, freshman Ashley Anderson (East Orange) had 10 points and four rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench with junior Kelli Sawyer (Philadelphia, Pa./Friends Select/LIU) adding eight points and a career-high eight rebounds while logging a career-high 37 minutes played..
The Broncs travel to Siena on Monday night for a MAAC game at 7:00pm in Loudonville, New York. "We’re not looking forward to making a splash at MAAC’s, at least not until we are at that point on the schedule," Borel added. "We are looking forward to Monday night when we play again because as a player, that’s what you have to do."
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