WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FALLS TO RIDER, 55-43
 
Rider Broncs (6-7, 2-0 MAAC) – 55
Monmouth Hawks (5-8, 1-1 MAAC) - 43
 
WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Despite holding the Broncs to 27.3% from the floor, the Monmouth University women's basketball team was outlasted by Rider on Thursday morning, 55-43. After taking a 16-12 lead in the first quarter, the Hawks were outscored 43-27 the rest of the way. Monmouth went just 2-18 from three-point range, including 0-11 in the first three quarters. Ten different Hawks scored in the loss, as junior Emani Clough lead the way with nine. Senior Erica Balman pulled down a team-high nine rebounds in the contest, and extended her league-leading block total to 27 (three today). Monmouth falls to 5-8 (1-1 MAAC) on the season, and will travel to defending MAAC Champion Quinnipiac on Saturday afternoon.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
"[Rider] did a great job of taking us out of our usual looks. We saw that on film and anticipated it, but did not respond well. When we tried to do some other things, our decision-making was particularly poor. We had some mismatches we were trying to take advantage of, and we were just not on the same page. We just missed a lot of opportunities and didn't get the job done today." -  Monmouth head coach Jody Craig
 
-The Broncs started the game 1-9 from the floor, but they hit five free throws in that span to keep it close. By the end of the first quarter, Monmouth developed a 16-12 lead.
-Monmouth did not score over the last 4:52 of the second quarter. Rider tied the game up at 23 heading into halftime despite shooting 7-33 (21%) from the floor.
-After the Hawks took a five-point lead midway through the third quarter, Rider rattled off a 7-0 run to take a 32-30 lead.
-Heading into the fourth, the Broncs led 37-32.
-Rider outscored the Hawks 18-11 in the final frame, eventually taking the 12-point win.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Eight different Hawks scored in the first quarter alone.
-The Hawks missed their first 12 three-point field goal attempts.
-Rider went 19-26 from the free throw line, while Monmouth went 9-15.
-The Hawks had a 24-10 advantage in the paint
-The teams combined to go 31-108 (28.7%) in the game.
-Freshman Allure Simmons tied her career-high of seven points, and made her first career three-pointer.
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks will have a quick turnaround, as they travel to Quinnipiac on Saturday for a 2 PM matchup. The Bobcats own a 26-17 all-time series record, including an 83-44 victory in the MAAC Quarterfinals last season.