The Guru Report: Rider’s Johnson Reaches 2,000, Leads First Broncs’ Sweep of Quinnipiac

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

HAMDEN, Conn. – There was a time not all that long ago when the noted Quinnipiac pollsters would have never seen this coming at their own university.

But several firsts occurred Thursday night, all of it involving the Rider women, the only one of the Guru’s local eleven D-1 schools who were on the night’s card.

Late in the first quarter here in a key Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) game at the Bobcats’ Peoples United Center arena, Rider senior Stella Johnson, the nation’s leading scorer, zipped a triple from outside to become the first in the Broncs’ program history to reach 2,000 points.

That gave Rider enough lift to move ahead and stay ahead, repulsing several rallies to grab a 68-62 victory over Quinnipiac (12-12, 9-6 MAAC) for the first time here, hence completing a first-ever sweep of the Bobcats following a first-ever win over them back home last month before a sellout School Day crowd for a late morning contest early in that week.

Johnson finished with a game-high 29 points to keep Rider (20-4, 13-2) tied in the loss column and a half-game behind preseason favorite Marist in the win column for first place.

The Broncs also managed to hold the home team without a three-pointer for the first time Quinnipiac didn’t connect on at least one – they were 0-for-10 – since the 2010 season.

Though the window has lowered – can never prematurely say shut to a Tricia Fabbri-coached bunch – for the first time since the Bobcats took over ownership of the MAAC women’s competition not long after moving over from the Northeast Conference, there’s still plenty of fight in Quinnipiac.

Exhibit A came in the second half after Rider built a 12-point lead late in the third quarter only to have the Bobcats tie the game 52-52 early in the next period off an 8-0 run and have a chance to go ahead and perhaps change the momentum.

But Quinnipiac missed both foul shots, either which would have resulted to taking a lead, and Rider responded with a 7-0 run capped by Johnson to regain total command and stay enough in front to head back home to Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville, N.J., in joyful spirits.

Rider got to the line just once across a large portion of the game from the opening tip, but with Quinnipiac forced to foul down the stretch to turn the tide, the Broncs capitalized shooing 9-of-11 free throws in the final quarter.

Besides the historical significance of the win, with Fairfield and Quinnipiac in a third-place battle, because Marist earlier in conference play got upset by Fairfield, sweeping the Stags and Bobcats could determine the No. 1 seed in the MAAC tourney if the Red Foxes and Broncs finish the regular season tied.

Rider is at Fairfield in Alumni Hall next Thursday back here nearby in Connecticut but Quinnipiac will be at Fairfield Saturday afternoon.

As it is, the win over the Bobcats seems to assure a worse case postseason prize enabling another trip to the WNIT for the third time in four seasons, though for now Rider’s eyes are legitimately on a bigger target, winning the MAAC tourney, which has moved from Albany, N.Y., to its new site in Atlantic City, N.J., at Boardwalk Hall next month.

“I thought it was a great second half,” said Rider longtime coach Lynn Milligan, who last time out became the winningest coach in program history eclipsing her coach Eldon Price. “I think it was a physical game like it always is between us and Quinnipiac.

“They outmuscled us a little bit under the basket, but I think we responded and held our own. We executed some offense at the end of the game. It was a tough road win in February, which I’ll take any day.”

It’s the second time the last four seasons Rider has won at least 20, this time helped by a record 14-game run until an upset loss at Saint Peter’s and then another at home to Marist, preventing a sweep, temporarily blunted the 2019-20 storyline to date.

Johnson’s 29 came on 11-of-20 from the field, the seventh time she has had 11 or more, far ahead of anyone else in the MAAC, who’s next best is two.

 She also had six rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block. Her total points in scoring is fifth in MAAC history.

“When you’re playing a road game against the defending champs in mid-February you need everybody to step up,” Milligan noted about her star player. “Obviously, Stella is our leader.

“I think you saw that early. She kept everybody balanced and calm when Quinnipiac made that run in the fourth quarter. Two thousand points is hard to quantify right now. It’s a pretty amazing feat. It goes to her efficiency; how hard she works and how she is involved in everything we do.”

Amanda Mobley scored in double figures with 14 points, going 5-of-6 from the free throw line while also dealing 5 assist, and Lea Favre had 10 points and six rebounds.

Amari Johnson didn’t pick up a double-double on this trip, but she did score eight points and grab six rebounds, while nailing two threes in the stretch drive.

The Bobcats’ Paige Warfel had 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Mikayla Morris and Jayden Ward each scored 12 points.

On Sunday, Iona visits Alumni Gymnasium at 1 p.m. to meet Rider.

Looking Ahead: Penn Looks to Solidify Second

Friday night is key for three Guru teams in Division I – Penn is hosting Dartmouth at 7 in The Palestra in an Ivy game as the Quakers hope to take stronger hold of second place. They could also move closer to first if Harvard upsets front-runner and two-time reigning Ivy champs Princeton, which tips at 6 p.m. in Central New Jersey in Jadwin Gym. 

Drexel hosts William & Mary at 7 p.m. in the Daskalakis Athletic Center at home in West Philadelphia looking to stay in first at least a game ahead of James Madison in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Delaware hosts Elon at 11 a.m. Friday in the CAA, while in the Big East, Villanova hosts Marquette in a key Big East Conference game at Finneran Pavilion at 7 on the Main Line.

Nationally, in yet another Associated Poll ranked matchup in the Pac-12, Oregon State will be looking to stop its slide when it visits Stanford at 11 p.m. in Palo Alto, Calif.

On Saturday, La Salle is at Rhode Island at 1 p.m. in the Atlantic 10 while in the same conference, Saint Joseph’s hosts George Mason at 2 p.m. in Hagan Arena.  

Temple is looking it to make three straight games as winners when the Owls travel to ECU at 1 p.m. in North Carolina for an American Athletic Conference game.

In the Big Ten, Rutgers hosts Ohio State at the Scarlet Knight’s RAC in Piscataway, N.J., and Penn State travels to Iowa at 3 p.m.

At night as they switch guests, Penn is looking to get a split in the Ivy series, hosting Harvard at 7 in The Palestra while Princeton hosts Dartmouth at 6 p.m.

On Sunday, nationally-ranked DePaul, the Big East leader, visits Villanova at 1 p.m., the last regular season game at home in what becomes sayonara to longtime Wildcats coach Harry Perretta, who is retiring at the end of this, his 42^nd season, all with Villanova.

There will be a special ceremony after the game.

Drexel hosts Elon at 2 p.m. in the CAA, while Delaware hosts William & Mary at 1 p.m.

As mentioned, Rider hosts Iona at 1 p.m.

On Monday night, Oregon visits Stanford at 9 p.m. trying to lock up the PAC-12 first place slot, while on Tuesday, Penn goes for a split visits Princeton at 7 p.m.

And that’s the report.