WALTHAM, Mass. — The Rivier women's basketball team fell to Brandeis on Tuesday evening in non-conference action at Red Auerbach Arena, 69-56.
The loss dropped the Raiders to 0-3, while the Judges improved to 3-2.
Rivier started slow, trailing 10-6 early in the first quarter, but senior Alexa Dufries sparked a rally with an and-one layup, cutting the deficit to one with 2:56 remaining. Brandeis responded with a pair of free throws and a three-pointer to extend their lead to 15-9. First-year Sydney Perry recorded back-to-back baskets for Rivier, bringing the score to 17-13 at the end of the quarter.
The Raiders pulled even early in the second quarter when Dufries and senior Lyric Grumblatt scored on consecutive plays, tying the game at 17-17 with 8:42 remaining. A four-minute scoring drought for both teams ended when Brandeis hit a three-pointer to take a 20-17 lead. Rivier countered with an 8-6 run, capped by two free throws from senior Hannah Muchemore, but trailed 26-25 at halftime.
Rivier claimed their first lead of the game early in the second half with a Grumblatt layup. The Raiders then surged ahead with a 14-8 run, fueled by eight points from Muchemore, and entered the final quarter up 41-35, in part to forcing five Judge turnovers during the stretch.
A pair of free throws from Grumblatt gave the Raiders their largest lead of the night at 46-39 with just over eight minutes remaining. Brandeis countered with a 17-0 run over the next five minutes, turning a seven-point deficit into a 10-point lead. Riding that momentum, the Judges closed out the game with a decisive 13-point victory.
Grumblatt led the way for the Raiders, scoring 18 points and grabbing six rebounds. Muchemore and Dufries followed up, chipping in with 11 points each. Perry recorded her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Senior Rachel Guinn added five points and pulled down eight rebounds to round out the effort.
The Raiders wrap up their road trip with a visit to Hartford as they get set to face another non-conference opponent, Trinity (Conn.), on Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Ray Oosting Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
