Odarius Cade speeds up the floor as he paced Rivier to a win over Regis on Saturday at the Muldoon Center. (Courtesy photo by Gabby Cabral/Rivier Athletics)

NASHUA — Senior Odarius Cade recorded a season-high 32 points as the Raiders secured an 88-71 victory over Regis (Mass.) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play on Saturday afternoon at the Muldoon Center.

The win snapped what had been a tough seven-game losing streak for the Raiders (11-11, 4-7 GNAC).

The Raiders trailed 16-7 at the 11:56 mark of the first half before Cade erupted for nine straight points, cutting the deficit to 20-16 with just over eight minutes to play. Junior Robenson Baguidy trimmed the margin to two with a layup, and graduate student Kyler Bosse scored on back-to-back possessions to tie the game at 22-22. Cade added five more points, but Regis responded with an 11-5 run, forcing Rivier into a timeout down 33-27 with 2:57 left in the half. Coming out of the timeout, the Raiders erupted on a three-point shooting spree that was capped with a shot from graduate student Joey Merrill, giving Rivier a 38-35 lead at the half.

Bosse opened the second half with back-to-back three-pointers, giving the Raiders a 44-37 lead with 18:48 remaining. The teams traded baskets, with Rivier holding a 54-47 advantage at the 13:14 mark. The Raiders then embarked on a 10-1 run, capped by a putback from first-year Matt Youngquist, extending their lead to 64-48 halfway through the frame. Rivier maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way, cruising to an 88-71 victory.

Cade led the Raiders with 32 points on 13-of-19 shooting (68.4%), including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc (57.1%). Baguidy followed with 17 points on 4-of-6 shooting (66.7%), to go along with six rebounds and a steal. Bosse chipped in 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting (50%) and grabbed six rebounds. Merrill recorded his sixth double-double of the season, posting 11 points, 12 rebounds, and a team-high four assists. Youngquist added six points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

The Raiders capitalized on fastbreak opportunities and second-chance points, outscoring the Pride 25-7 and 12-10, respectively. Additionally, the Raiders edged Regis in rebounds, 49-36, and assists, 12-10.

The Raiders return to action on Wednesday in GNAC play against Colby-Sawyer at the Muldoon Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

RIVIER 84, REGIS 48

Head coach Deanna Purcell earned her 50th career win as the Rivier women’s basketball team secured its largest margin of victory in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play during the National Girls and Women in Sports Day game.

With the victory, the Raiders improved to 12-10 (8-3 GNAC) while the Pride dropped to 5-15 (4-6 GNAC).

Graduate student teammates Lyric Grumblatt and Hannah Muchemore scored the first nine points of the game, helping the Raiders take a 9-4 lead at the 7:52 mark of the first quarter. Sophomore Alyssa Scharn added to the tally with a layup and two made free throws, pushing the Rivier lead to 16-8. The Raiders closed out the quarter on an 8-3 run, highlighted by back-to-back layups from first-year Sydney Perry, giving Rivier a 24-13 advantage at the end of the first.

Sophomore Emily Coleman opened the second quarter with a layup, and Grumblatt followed by scoring ten consecutive points, including two three-pointers, to extend the Rivier lead to 21 and force the Pride into a timeout. Coming out of the break, senior Alexa Dufries hit a layup and then knocked down a three-pointer from the corner, pushing the Raider advantage to 43-13 with 4:21 remaining in the half. The Raiders capped off their 21-0 run with a scoop and score by first-year Gianna Donato, taking a 47-17 lead into the break.

Both teams came out of the break strong, but the Raiders maintained their lead, holding a 58-27 advantage with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter. Senior Rachel Guinn then nailed a three-pointer to ignite a 16-5 run over the final minutes of the quarter, extending the Rivier lead to 74-32 heading into the final frame.

First-year Hannah Smith halted a 6-0 Regis run with a mid-range jumper, keeping the Raiders ahead 78-38 with 6:13 remaining. After a pair of free throws from Donato, the Pride went on another 6-0 run before senior Anna Stawasz sank her first three-pointer of the season with 4:29 left, bringing the score to 83-44. First-year Lily Papatola capped off the scoring with a fast break layup on a feed from classmate Jocelyn Eosue as the Raiders cruised to an 85-48 victory.

Grumblatt led the Raiders with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting (69.2%), including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc (75%), along with six rebounds and four assists. Donato contributed 13 points, six rebounds, four blocks, and three steals. Muchemore added 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Guinn finished with seven points and five rebounds, while Scharn recorded six points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Perry led the team with 10 rebounds, and Coleman was right behind with nine. Dufries shared a team-high four assists.

The Raiders dominated the boards, outrebounding Regis 61-24, and totaled 25 assists compared to just 12 for the Pride. Rivier also held advantages in fastbreak points (11-4), points in the paint (36-26), and bench points (36-9), while edging out Regis in second-chance points (11-10). Additionally, the Raiders shot 45.7% from the field, while the Pride shot at a 23.3% clip.

The Raiders aim to build on their momentum in a GNAC clash against Colby-Sawyer on Wednesday during the Mental Health Awareness Game at the Muldoon Center. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

RIVIER 3, PLYMOUTH STATE 1

Junior forward Jessica Driscoll found twine twice to propel the Raiders in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) showdown at Hanaway Rink.

With the win, the Raiders improved to 9-9-1 (6-3-1 MASCAC), while the Panthers fell to 14-7-1 (9-2-1 MASCAC).

Rivier got out to a strong start, outshooting Plymouth St. 5-0 in the first 3:13 of action. Following the Raiders’ offensive surge, both teams traded chances until the deadlock was broken at the 16:55 mark of the opening frame. Senior defender Grace Arsenault delivered a shot from the blue line that was kicked saved out to senior forward Breezy Parent. Parent was denied but the rebound played right onto Driscoll’s stick which she jammed in for the games’ first tally. Each team recorded one more shot before Rivier headed to the locker room with a 1-0 lead.

The Panthers began to find their stride in the second period, outshooting the Raiders 13-8, but Rivier’s defense held firm and kept their 1-0 advantage intact going into the second intermission.

Following a dormant second period, Driscoll potted her second goal of the contest after intercepting a pass deep in the Raiders’ offensive zone and snuck the puck in between the post and the goalies’ blocker side with just 5:57 remaining. Plymouth St. responded quickly, cutting Rivier’s lead back to one goal 1:03 later. With 12 seconds remaining in the contest, senior forward Paige Anger sealed the game, scoring an empty netter from the Raider’s defensive zone.

Senior goalkeeper Rachel Hinkley recorded 32 saves in the win.

The Raiders return home for a MASCAC matinee matchup with the Trailblazers of Mass. Liberal Arts on Tuesday at noon.

PLYMOUTH STATE 5, RIVIER 1

The Raiders fell behind early, 2-0, and never recovered. Their lone goal by Jon Tavlla (Cormac Hayes assist) cut the gap to 2-1 after one period, but two PSU goals in a four minute span in the second period did the trick. Will Redick had two goals to lead the Bobcats.

Riv is now 5-15-1 overall, 1-12-1 in MASCAC play. PSU is 17-5-0, 14-1-0 MASCAC. The Raiders are at Westfield State on Thursday.

(Telegraph Staff Writer Tom King contributed to this report.)