Alexa Dufries (33) led Rivier with 21 points in a win over Mitchell in New London, Conn. on Tuesday night. (Courtesy photo by Kyle Prudhomme/Rivier Athletics)

NEW LONDON, Conn – The Rivier women’s basketball team secured an 87-57 win over Mitchell in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action Tuesday evening at the Yarnall Athletic Center to conclude its regular season with a 15-10 overall record and 11-3 GNAC ledger.

The Raiders, who concluded the season on a five-game winning streak, won 11 conference games, the most in a season since the 2011-12 campaign.

The Mariners fell to 2-17 (0-13 GNAC) with the setback.

Sophomore Alyssa Scharn opened the game with a three-pointer, but the Mariners quickly responded with a run, taking a 7-3 lead with 6:41 remaining in the first quarter. Back-to-back and-one layups from senior Alexa Dufries and first-year Sydney Perry put Rivier ahead 9-7, forcing Mitchell into a timeout. Out of the break, the Raiders extended their advantage as graduate student Lyric Grumblatt and first-year Gianna Donato added baskets, pushing the lead to seven with 2:40 to play in the quarter. The teams traded possessions down the stretch, with Rivier holding a 20-15 advantage after one.

Mitchell opened the second quarter on a 10-4 run to reclaim the lead at 25-24 with 5:19 left in the half. Donato responded with a three-pointer, and senior Jessica Carrier added a driving layup to push Rivier back in front, 29-25. The Mariners answered with a layup, but the Raiders closed the half on a 10-0 run, punctuated by a three-pointer by Donato in the final seconds, to take a 39-27 lead into the break.

Carrier and Grumblatt combined for 10 of Rivier’s first 12 points in the third quarter, helping the Raiders build a 51-34 advantage with 5:36 remaining. Mitchell responded with a three-pointer, but Dufries answered with a three of her own, followed by a layup. Graduate student Hannah Muchemore added a jump shot before Dufries scored again and Scharn knocked down her second triple of the game to extend the lead to 63-41 at the 2:16 mark. Perry and Donato chipped in baskets to close the quarter, giving the Raiders a 68-43 lead heading into the final frame.

Dufries and Muchemore drained three three-pointers to push Rivier’s lead to 79-50 with 6:18 left to play. Senior Rachel Guinn added a three-pointer of her own to help seal the Raiders’ 87-57 victory.

Dufries led the Raiders with a season-high 21 points on 8-of-16 (50%) shooting while adding three rebounds. Grumblatt followed with 18 points on 6-of-10 (60%) shooting, including a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, and tallied a career-high 17 rebounds to record her ninth double-double of the season. Donato provided 16 points, knocking down four three-pointers and securing five rebounds. Perry contributed nine points and four rebounds, while Scharn added seven points, sinking two threes and adding two steals. Carrier posted a season-high six points and matched Muchemore for a team-high five assists.

The Raiders outrebounded the Mariners 46-29 and recorded 18 assists to Mitchell’s 12. Rivier forced 18 turnovers, converting them into 26 points, while Mitchell managed just seven points off turnovers. The Raiders also held key advantages in second-chance points (17-7), points in the paint (30-20), fastbreak points (12-4), and bench scoring (42-22).

The Raiders now await the conclusion of the GNAC regular season for postseason tournament seeding.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

RIVIER 91, MITCHELL 66

The Rivier men’s basketball team earned its fourth consecutive win to close out Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) playat the Yarnall Athletic Center.

With the win, the Raiders finished the season at 14-11 (7-7 GNAC), securing back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in program history.

Meanwhile, the Mariners dropped to 14-9 (6-6 GNAC) with two games remaining in their regular season.

Junior Matt Constant and graduate student Joey Merrill opened the game with back-to-back three-pointers as the Raiders found themselves trailing 8-6 with 16:40 remaining in the first half. Merrill followed with an and-one layup, and graduate student Kyler Bosse added to the three-point surge, giving the Raiders their first lead at 12-10. The teams continued exchanging baskets, with the Mariners briefly reclaiming the lead at 21-20 midway through the frame. Senior Cheikh Gueye put the Raiders back in front with a layup, but Mitchell responded with a quick three-pointer to make it 24-22. First-year Steph Barnes and Bosse converted consecutive layups to tie the game at 26 with 6:28 left in the half. Rivier then closed the period with a 19-9 run, fueled by three three-pointers from Constant and contributions from five different scorers to secure a 45-35 advantage at the break.

Constant opened the second half with three consecutive three-pointers, pushing the lead to 54-39 and forcing a Mariner timeout. Mitchell cut the deficit to 10, but back-to-back layups from senior Odarius Cade and graduate student Ra’Quan Groves extended the Raiders’ lead to 62-48 with 10:28 remaining. Rivier then went on a sustained 17-10 run, widening the gap to 79-58 at the 3:50 mark. Cade sealed the game with a nine-point surge, to help the Raiders cruise to a 91-66 victory.

Constant knocked down eight three-pointers, shooting 9-of-17 (52.9%) overall and an impressive 8-of-13 (61.5%) from beyond the arc, on his way to a 28-point performance while also securing five rebounds. Bosse followed with 20 points on 8-of-15 (53.3%) shooting, adding three rebounds. Merrill contributed 13 points on 5-of-10 (50%) shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. Cade added 11 points on 5-of-8 (62.5%) shooting while tallying two steals. Groves chipped in 10 points and five rebounds, while Baguidy led the team with seven assists and pulled down six rebounds.

The Raiders shot an efficient 57.1% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range and held Mitchell to just 31.2% overall and 22.2% from beyond the arc. Rivier also dished out 19 assists compared to the Mariners’ seven. The Raiders held advantages in points in the paint (44-20), fast break points (18-2), and bench points (26-21).

The Raiders now await the conclusion of the GNAC regular season for their postseason tournament seeding.