Broncs beat Saint Peter’s for first MAAC win

LAWRENCEVILLE » When the Rider women’s basketball team needed the kind of fourth quarter that has eluded it all season long, it relied on a pair of underclassmen to finally deliver.

Raphaela Toussaint and Victoria Toomey combined for 37 points and 23 rebounds and the Broncs rallied from a 10-point deficit to storm past Saint Peter’s for a 65-62 victory on Saturday afternoon at

Alumni Gymnasium.

Rider (2-12, 1-8) won for the first time in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, while also snapping a four-game skid in the process.

“It was a much-needed win,” coach Lynn Milligan said. “There’s no sugar-coating that. We needed to get back on the right track.”

Toussaint scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Toomey netted 18 points and hauled down 12 boards. The sophomore Toomey’s layup with 1:10 remaining gave the

Broncs their first lead since the opening moments of the game.

Rider out-scored SPU, 22-9, in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve had a lot of games this season where we’ve started the fourth quarter tied or ahead and it hasn’t gone our way,” Milligan said. “For us to be able to execute the way we did in the fourth quarter is a great sign for us.”

Lenaejha Evans added 14 points for the Broncs. Her contribution — along with Toussaint and Toomey — was needed after Maya Hyacienth got injured in the first quarter and an already-hobbled Makayla Firebaugh tossed up an 0-for-11.

“I’m gaining more confidence as the games go on,” said Toussaint, a freshman from Kingston, Ontario, who converted a huge three-point play in the fourth quarter. “I’m slowly progressing, which is good. Today I was very confident in myself.”

Kendrea Williams led SPU (5-9, 4-5) with 18 points. The two teams complete the twogame series on Sunday at 1 p.m.