The Rivier women's basketball team was in a celebratory mood on Wednesday night at the Muldoon Center. (Courtesy photo by Leanna Puccio/Rivier Athletics)

NASHUA – Lyric Grumblatt and Alexa Dufries combined for 46 points to help the Raiders push past Anna Maria 79-75 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action in the Muldoon Center on Wednesday night.

Rivier moves to 6-10 on the season and 4-2 and GNAC play whike the AMCATS fell to 7-8 overall (2-4 GNAC).

To finish up the first half, the Raiders took a three-point lead into the locker room, shooting 50.0% from the three-point line and battling to gain possession over the AMCATS.

At 2:51 in the fourth quarter, Grumblatt hit a layup in the paint to claim the final lead of the contest 71-70. The Raiders went on to score eight more points to secure their win.

To add on to Grumblatt’s and Dufries buckets, Anna Stenger of Rivier collected a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds. Jessica Carrier contributed 11 assists and four points this evening. Off the bench for the Raiders, Alyssa Scharn buried 11 points.

Despite the loss for the AMCATS Marinique Reddin earned a double-double on 22 points and 14 rebounds.

The Raiders and the AMCATS both shot in the low forties from field goal percentage. Riv stood out on the free throw line going 75.0%, while Anna Maria shot 64.3% from the line.

Rivier will travel to Albertus Magnus on Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip-off in another GNAC contest at the Messer Athletic Center.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

RIVIER 73, ANNA MARIA 68

In a second half with 12 lead changes, the Raiders used a late surge to power past Anna Maria in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) clash at the Muldoon Center.

With the win, the Raiders snapped a two-game skid and improved to 11-4 (4-2) while the AMCATS dropped to 6-11 (1-5 GNAC).

Rivier started the game with three made baskets to take a 7-0 lead and force Anna Maria to call a timeout just 1:44 into the contest. Out of the huddle, Robenson Baguidy made three-pointers on back-to-back offensive possessions to put the home side up 15-6 with 14:54 left in the half. The AMCATS would go on a 9-0 run over the next 2:05 to tie the contest.

A Jayden Dickerson three-pointer after a Riv bucket would give the visitors their first lead of the contest, 18-17. With under 10 minutes to play, Nikolas Pignone and Devin Owens three pointers on consecutive possessions built up a seven-point lead for the Raiders.

A seven-point swing over the next 2:14 would re-tie the game at 25-25. The score would tie three more times over the remainder of the half before an Odarius Cade three with 1:02 left gave Rivier a slight 34-31 margin as both teams went to the locker rooms.

Baguidy and Owens each scored 11 points in the opening 20 minutes.

The second half would be a grind as the lead changed 12 times with four tie scores.

A Pignone three-pointer with 1:38 to go would prove to be the difference maker as the graduate guard put the Raiders up 69-62. Despite a late push by Anna Maria, Rivier would hold on for a 73-68 victory with Cade and Pignone hitting key free throws down the stretch.

Four Raiders finished in double-digit point totals as Cade scored 20, both Baguidy and Owens scored 16, and Pignone finished with 10. Both Joseph Melvin and Owens hauled in six rebounds while Baguidy dished out five assists. Both Cade and Pignone went 4-for-6 from the free throw stripe as Rivier hit 12-of-19 free throws.

Rivier shot 44.8% from the floor while hitting 9-of-25 (36%) of its three-point attempts compared to Anna Maria’s 45.6% field goal and 28.6% three-point percentage. Despite the victory, the Raiders were outrebounded, 34-26.

The Raiders will continue their GNAC slate in a road matchup at Albertus Magnus on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Messer Athletic Center.

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