Saturday was a tough day for Daylen Dalcour and the Raiders at Albertus Magnus. (Photo courtesy of Rivier Athletics)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Rivier men’s basketball game fell on the road in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup to Albertus Magnus, 99-70, Saturday afternoon at the Cosgrove Marcus Messer Center.

With the loss, the Raiders dropped to 10-11 (3-5 GNAC), while the Flacons improved to 14-7 (6-2 GNAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Rivier opened the game matching Albertus Magnus early, tying the score three times in the opened minutes, including senior Izaiah Shaw-Glen making it 7-7 via a fast-break three.

Midway through the first half, Albertus Magnus surged ahead behind second-chance points and transition scoring, taking a 38-30 halftime lead despite Rivier forcing six steals and staying active on the glass.

Rivier came out of the break with renewed energy as Shaw-Glen and senior Robenson Baguidy scored two quick layups followed by a three from sophomore Matt Youngquist to cut the deficit to five, 42-37.

The Falcons’ offense, however, caught fire in the second half, putting up 61 points after halftime to stretch the lead.

Rivier continued to attack down the stretch, with first-year Daylen Dalcour and Youngquist generated second-chance opportunities in the paint, while junior Theo Briscoe IV and senior Jamari Williams cashed in from distance.

The Raiders made a defensive push late, forcing empty possessions and scoring inside, but Albertus Magnus responded with a series of fast-break baskets to close out the contest, 90-77.

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN

Shaw-Glen led Rivier with 16 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field, while adding 4 rebounds

Dalcour posted 11 points and 7 rebounds, including 3 offensive boards

Youngquist contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds with two three-pointers, while Williams added 10 off the bench, including two threes of his own.

Baguidy filled the stat sheet with 8 assists, 3 steals, and 7 points

UP NEXT

The Raiders return to action Wednesday for a GNAC home matchup with Saint Joseph’s (Me.). Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Muldoon Center.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

ALBERTUS MAGNUS 66, RIVIER 55

The Rivier women’s basketball team dropped a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup on the road to Albertus Magnus, 66-45, Saturday afternoon at Cosgrove Marcus Messer Court.

With the loss, the Raiders moved to 2-19 overall and 2-6 in GNAC play, while the Falcons improved to 5-16 (4-4 GNAC).

Albertus Magnus opened the game with a strong first quarter, holding Rivier to five points while building an early lead behind efficient shooting

Rivier continued to battle defensively in the second quarter but trailed 39-14 at halftime.

The Raiders came out of the break with renewed energy, scoring 18 points in the third quarter to generate momentum. Graduate student Juju Nealy and sophomore Sydney Perry helped spark the offense by attacking the paint and pushing the pace.

Rivier’s defense took over in the fourth quarter, holding Albertus Magnus scoreless for over five minutes and forcing multiple empty possessions to try and close the gap.

With 5:11 left of the fourth quarter, junior Emily Coleman delivered a perfectly placed pass inside to Nealy, who finished at the rim for an easy layup. The Raiders continued to chip away during the defensive stand, but Albertus Magnus regained momentum late to close out the conference win

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN

Nealy led the Raiders with 13 points and six rebounds while sophomore Gianna Donato and Perry each contributed 11 points. Perry anchored the defensive effort with six rebounds and six blocks.

Coleman recorded a game-high 15 rebounds Rivier shot 27.9 percent from the field and 11.5 percent from three-point range, and the Raiders totaled 46 rebounds and 24 points in the paint.

UP NEXT

Rivier continues GNAC play next week as the Raiders head home for their Raider game at the Muldoon Center, Wednesday evening against GNAC foe Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

MEN’S HOCKEY

ANNA MARIA 5, RIVIER 1

The Rivier men’s ice hockey team fell to Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) opponents Anna Maria at Horgan Arena.

With the loss, the Raiders fell to 2-18-1 (2-8-0 MASCAC), while the AMCATS improved to 13-5-2 (8-1-1 MASCAC).

Anna Maria jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, with the first coming 6:30 into the period and the second, a short-handed goal, at 12:48.

First-year Aaron Sawicki lit the lamp on a feed from senior defenseman Carter Poulin to cut the deficit to one with 6:05 to play in the opening frame.

The AMCATS recorded two more goals in the final six minutes of the period, taking a 4-1 lead into the locker room.

Anna Maria picked up right where they left off, finding twine to increase their advantage to four just 1:43 into the second period.

Both teams battled for the remainder of the period, with neither side able to convert.

Each squad continued to trade chances in the third period.

The AMCATS recorded two final tallies with in the final 3:18 to secure the 6-1 victory.

Junior goaltender Mason Meyer saved 33 shots in the outing while Anna Maria held the slight edge in faceoff wins, 39-36. Rivier out blocked the AMCATS 10-9.

The Raiders return to the ice Thursday for a MASCAC showdown with MCLA. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Conway Arena.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

WORCESTER STATE 3, RIVIER 1

With the MASCAC result at Conway Arena, the Raiders moved to 13-7-0 (8-3-0 MASCAC), while the Lancers moved to 12-8-0 (9-1-0 MASCAC).

First-year Giada Musa lit the lamp for the Raiders 3:04 into the opening frame, connecting with junior Kayley Young and senior Molly Dukesherer.

The remainder of the period featured back-and-forth play, with Rivier holding a slight 8-5 edge in shots on goal.

Junior Rebecca McKelvey blocked three shots to help preserve the one-goal lead heading into the second frame.

Rivier’s best opportunity to extend the lead came on the power play, where the Raiders fired four consecutive shots on net but were unable to capitalize.

Junior Taylor Bruno turned aside all eight shots she faced in the second period, preserving the 1-0 advantage heading into the final frame.

Worcester leveled the score at the 12:10 mark on a power play, then 1:11 later took the lead off a rebounded shot.

The Raiders pulled the goalie with 1:24 remaining and generated four consecutive shots in a final push to tie the game, but were unable to convert. The Lancers cleared the zone and sealed the game with an empty-net goal, securing the 3-1 final.

The Lancers outshot the Raiders 28-24 while Bruno saved 25 shots.

First-years Ella Spinazola, Olivia Tucker, and McKelvey all led with three blocked shots

The Raiders are back in action on Tuesday for their final non-conference contest against Salve Regina at St. George’s Ice Arena. Puck drop is at 8 p.m.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

NO. 14 SUNY NEW PALTZ 3, RIVIER 1

The Raiders were led in this first leg of a tri-match by James Levesque with seven kills and Matt McCloskey with six. Tyler Dickinson added six blocks.

RIVIER 3, RUSSELL SAGE 2

The Raiders, down 2-0 after a pair of 25-23 losses, rallied to win three straight sets, 25-20, 25-20 and 15-0. Cody Fitzpatrick led the way with 15 kills while Tyler Dickinson and Cody Kenji each had a dozen. Justin Barish had 37 assists as the Raiders evened their overall record at 6-6.