MOUNT ST. MARY'S (10-15, 6-10 MAAC) vs. RIDER (7-19, 4-13 MAAC)
Thursday, February 23^rd | 11 a.m.
Lawrenceville, N.J. | Alumni Gymnasium
 
GAME NOTES (MSM) | WATCH (ESPNU) | WATCH (ESPN+) | LIVE STATS
 
EMMITSBURG, Md. (February 22, 2023) – In front of a national television audience, Mount St. Mary's and Rider meet for the second time in a critical late season Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) contest.  
 
MOUNT UPDATE
 
Dropping contests to the first and second place teams in the MAAC, the Mount stand at 6-10 in the league but maintained their hold on eighth place. A win over Rider means that the Broncs would no longer have a path to jump ahead of the Mountaineers in the standings and keeps the team in striking distance of Manhattan and Marist, holding a respective sixth and seventh place.
 
Without the services of Jo Raflo due to injury, combined with tough defense from Iona, the team put up their lowest point total of the season with 37 last Saturday. Their average for the season is 59.2, matching their spot in the standings when compared to other MAAC schools.
 
Michaela Harrison needs 10 points to advance to fourth on the team's all-time scoring list, which would pass Kia Williams at 1,732. Aryna Taylor has 158 triples for her Mount career, which tied Jessie Kaufman for seventh place.
 
RE-EXAMINING THE BRONCS
 
Rider has split the past four games, defeating Marist and Saint Peter's, and falling to Manhattan and Quinnipiac. Doubling their conference win total, the Broncs have cemented their current position of 10^th while giving them an opportunity to advance up the standings.
 
Makayla Firebaugh and Raphaela Toussaint average double figures for Rider, with Firebaugh the team's point leader and Toussaint the team's leading rebounder. Amanda Mobley plays point for the Broncs, compiling 160 assists across the season. The trio, along with Victoria Toomey and Jessika Schiffer, have been the starting lineup for 25 of the team's 26 games.
 
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
 
Former members in the Northeast Conference together, Mount St. Mary's and Rider have played 25 times in the past. The Mount holds a 19-6 all-time advantage. Most of that success came during the program's run in the 1990s. Since the turn of the 21^st century, the series has been more even. The Mount's victory in January gave them a 5-4 edge.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
 
Saturday marks the 2022-23 home finale versus Manhattan. Tip-off is at 1 p.m. from Knott Arena, with Senior Day proceedings occurring at 12:45 p.m.