Rivier's Izaiah Shaw-Glen, shown earlier this season,eclipsed the 1,000 point mark during a win at Colby-Sawyer Wednesday night. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

NEW LONDON. – The Rivier men’s basketball team earned a hard-fought 59-58 road victory over Colby-Sawyer on Wednesday night at the David L. Coffin Field House.

With the win, the Raiders improved to 10-9 overall (4-3 GNAC), while the Chargers dropped to 1-17 (0-5 GNAC). Senior senior Izaiah Shaw-Glen finished with 22 points to eclipse the career 1,000 point mark, adding eight rebounds and attacking the basket consistently. Robinsen Baguidy paced the offense with a team-high 23 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Rivier jumped out early behind back-to-back three-pointers from senior Robenson Baguidy and sophomore Matt Youngquist, building an early advantage in the opening minutes.

The Chargers responded with a 14-5 run midway through the half, fueled by perimeter shooting, to briefly take control, 22-16.

The Raiders regained momentum with strong transition play, as sophomore Steph Barnes knocked down a three and first-year Daylen Dalcour finished a layup to keep the Raiders within striking distance, 22-21.

A late fast-break basket from Baguidy gave Rivier a one-point edge with under 90 seconds remaining, but Colby-Sawyer closed the half with a final bucket to take a 28-27 lead at the break.

The Raiders opened the second half with energy, scoring the first six points as Shaw-Glen and Baguidy capitalized on turnovers to swing the lead back in Rivier’s favor, 33-30.

The teams traded baskets throughout the middle portion of the half, with Shaw-Glen repeatedly attacking the paint and Baguidy pushing the pace in transition.

The Chargers pulled back within one, 57-56, on a bucket from distance with 1:31 remaining.

Baguidy knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:17 left to push the lead to three, and Rivier’s defense forced a turnover on the ensuing possession.

Colby-Sawyer had a final look at the buzzer, but the desperation three missed, sealing the narrow, 59-58, victory for the Raiders.

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN

Dalcour contributed 14 rebounds….Rivier scored 13 points off turnovers and held a 10-2 edge in fast-break points.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

COLBY-SAWYER 58, RIVIER 41

The Rivier women’s basketball dropped a road Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup at the David L.Coffin Field House in New London.

With the loss, the Raiders fell to 2-17 (2-4 GNAC), while the Chargers improved to 7-11 (2-3 GNAC)

Rivier’s defense set the tone early, forcing multiple turnovers and keeping it tight after one, trailing 12-9 at the end of the first quarter.

Graduate student Juju Nealy tied the game with a three at 9:40 of the second quarter. The Chargers closed the half on a 14-2 surge to take a 26-14 lead into the locker room.

Early in the third, first-year Madi Ricker finished layup at 7:24 and sophomore Gianna Donato splashed a three at 6:55 to cut the deficit to 11, 30-19. Colby-Sawyer’s advantage reached 22 late in the frame, mixing in scores from inside and the perimeter to take a 44-24 lead into the final 15 minutes of play.

The Raiders opened the fourth with an 6-0 run behind threes from Donato and Nealy, cutting the deficit to 14 with 8:33 to go. The Chargers answered with more steady play, increasing their lead to 21 with 4:01 remaining.

Rivier recorded three buckets in the final two minutes of action, with junior Emily Coleman knocking down a three followed Ricker contributed two scored inside the arc, before Colby-Sawyer sealed the 58-41 win.

Donato led the offense with 13 points, followed by Nealy with 11 and Ricker with 10…Donato added a team-high nine rebounds and three assists.

Sophomore Sydney Perry contributed two blocks and seven rebounds.

The Raiders return to action Saturday for another GNAC battle with Saint Joseph (Conn.). Tip-off is scheduled for noon at the Muldoon Center.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

MIT 3, RIVIER 0

The Rivier men’s volleyball team fell in three sets to No. 17 MIT Wednesday evening in a non-conference matchup at the Muldoon Center.

With the loss, the Raiders dropped to 4-5, while the Engineers improved to 5-0.

The opening set featured 11 tied scored and multiple lead changes throughout. Sophomore Cade Barron, senior Matthew McCloskey, and sophomore Cody Fitzpatrick combined for six kills to take a 16-12 through the midway point of the opening set. Four straight points including a kill and an ace from first-year Kenji Clark, down the stretch put the Rivier up 22-19. MIT responded late scoring four of the sets five final points to take a 1-0 match lead, 26-24.

The Raiders remained aggressive in the second set, opening on two straight kills from junior Tyler Dickinson and Barron. The set stayed close throughout, with neither team leading by more than three. Fitzpatrick recorded a service ace to even the score at 21, but MIT answered immediately and eventually closed out the frame with back-to-back kills to earn a 25-23 set win and a 2-0 match lead.

The Engineers carried their momentum into the third set, building an early cushion behind the service line and several kills. Rivier chipped away down the stretch with several Raiders recording kills, however MIT did not let off the gas and sealed the sweep with a 25-13 decision.

Barron paced the offense hitting at a .417 clips with six kills and four services aces…McCloskey was the kills leader for the Raiders.

First-year Shawn Laduke recorded a team-high 10 assists followed by junior Justin Barish with 9.

The Raiders return to the court Friday for a non-conference matchup with VTSU-Johnson at 6 p.m. at the Muldoon Center.