Rider Women’s Basketball Receives Automatic Qualifier To 2017 Postseason WNIT
MAAC Sports
EDISON, NJ – Rider University Women’s Basketball team will continue its season in the 2017 Postseason WNIT. The Broncs have gone (24-8, 16-4 MAAC) in 2016-17 and were the runner-up in this year’s MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship, which concluded on Monday, March 6. Rider received the MAAC’s automatic bid and it will be the program’s first appearance in the Postseason WNIT.
Postseason WNIT Schedule:
Round 1: March 15-17
Round 2: March 18-21
Round 3: March 22-24
Quarterfinals: March 25-27
Semifinals: March 29-30
Championship: Saturday, April 1 (3 p.m. ET)
The Broncs have tallied 24 wins, the most the team has had since the 1981-82 season when they finished with 26. The 16 MAAC victories marked the most in program history. Rider advanced to the MAAC Championship game for the first time in program history as the No. 2 seed and were defeated by No. 1 seed Quinnipiac University, 81-73.
The Broncs defeated No. 7 Monmouth University in the quarterfinal round on Friday, March 3. Rider followed that win up with a 49-36 victory over No. 3 Fairfield University in the semifinals on Saturday, March 4.
Senior forward Julia Duggan was named to the 2017 MAAC All-Championship team for her efforts throughout the Tournament. Over the course of three games, the All-MAAC Third Team selection averaged 19.0 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. Duggan grabbed 20 rebounds in the semifinal victory over Fairfield, the 20-rebound performance marked the second-most rebounds ever recorded by a player in a MAAC Women’s Basketball Tournament game.
Head Coach Lynn Milligan was named The Rock MAAC Coach of the Year based on a unanimous vote by the league’s head coaches. Milligan is the first Rider Women’s Basketball head coach to be named Coach of the Year in the MAAC. The Rider alumna earned her 100th career victory at the university on January 19 against Saint Peter’s University.
Senior guard Robin Perkins was named the MAAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the All-MAAC First Team. Perkins is the first student-athlete in Rider’s history to earn the MAAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year honor. Perkins was fourth in the league in scoring with 15.5 points per game and ranked fifth in three-point field goals made per game with 2.1. The senior was named MAAC Player of the Week twice this season.
About the Postseason WNIT:
The Women's National Invitation Tournament is an annual tournament involving 64 of the nation's top women's Division I basketball teams. All games, including the semifinals and championship, are hosted by participating schools. Every round is single elimination.