NEW HAVEN, Conn. - 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).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- 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
- 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
- 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 7:00 p.m.
