Rivier's O'Darius Cade goes up against Colby-Sawyer's Michael Joanou for two of his 40 points during Monday night's GNAC play-in game at the Muldoon Center. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – A year after finishing up a season to forget, the Rivier University men’s basketball team had a night to remember.

The Raiders, in their first home postseason game since they won the Great Northeast Athletic Conference title back in 2007, rolled past in-state rival Colby-Sawyer, 98-70 in Monday night’s GNAC play-in game. Their offensive prowess electrified a standing room only crowd of about 500 at the Muldoon Center.

They shot 55 percent from the floor, and guard O’Darius Cade just took over the ‘Doon with a 40-point night, going 6 of 11 from 3-point land while the team was 13 of 29 (48.8 percent) from beyond the arc.

“We definitely had our best shooting game at the right time,” Raiders coach Tom Glynn said. “O’Darius Cade had by far his best offensive game of the season. A number of guys stepped up, the ball moved, and we’ve definitely been playing our best basketball the last two weeks.”

Of course, now it gets tougher for the Raiders, 15-11 overall, as they head to face St. Joseph’s of Connecticut in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. But last night’s win – no, make that event – was something those who suffered through last year’s 2-23 season with no conference wins could not have really imagined taking place so soon. If at all.

“Turning the program around in one year, that’s a big turnaround,” Raiders point guard Robenson Baguidy of Goffstown said. “Last year we were sitting on edges, we didn’t know what was going on … To be here at this point right now, it’s unbelievable.”

The Raiders trailed 16-15 early in the first half and then went on a 7-0, 19-5 run that gave them the lead for good. Later, back-to-back 3-pointers by Cade and Devin Owens made it 35-20 and in all honesty that was it. It was 51-33 at the half and Cade, perhaps the smallest player on the floor at 5-foot-7, was playing larger than life with 21 points.

“He’s figuring out about the GNAC, the physicality of the college game,” Glynn said of the junior from Anderson, S.C. “He’s finding his spots on the floor, and he really got to his spots tonight and scored the basketball at a high level.”

The Raiders had their share of tough games during the last month as they finished 6-8 in the GNAC, lost in triple overtime at Dean 10 days ago and even in a non-conference game got beat at the buzzer by Fisher College here to end the regular season on Friday night.

Lessons learned.

“The message to the team the last week was using the lessons of December, January and early February basketball, all those lessons to carry over into the playoffs,” Glynn said. “And it did tonight.”

And this was not expected to be an easy in by any means. The Chargers may have been 9-17 coming in but they Riv to overtime 12 nights ago. They were led by 15 apiece by Chaz Cullum and Michael Joanou. Riv’s Devin Owens added 16 and Baguidy 11 to the cause, the latter with eight assists.

Now it’s on to face the Blue Jays, who have a 21-4 overall mark and went unbeaten (14-0) in the GNAC. But the Raiders have the right coach to perhaps pull off a shocker; the Blue Jays went 16-1 at home a few years ago, and that one visitors’ win belonged to Glynn’s Rhode Island College team.

But no matter what, last night was a moment for the Raiders to savor.

“We’re trending in the right direction, I’m excited for tomorrow night,” Glynn said. “But we’re only getting started as a program.”