Poitras, Raiders suffer a 3-point loss in overtime to JWU

(Nashua, NH) The Rivier University Men's Basketball fell at home this afternoon to visiting Johnson and Wales University, 67-64 in the first Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest of the season.

Junior Tom Poitras (Bow, NH) scored 26 points – including a game tying 3 pointer with 0:04 remaining to force overtime – and collected 4 rebounds to pace the Raider offense. Junior Nick Walch (Dedham, MA) also contributed with 14 points and 9 rebounds as the Raiders fall to 4-2 on the season.

Holding a slight two point lead, the Wildcats had the opportunity to make it a two possession game with 0:23 left in regulation. Dan Barbour made the front side of his double bouns which made it 59-56. Rivier then called a timeout with just 7 seconds left and ran a perfectly executed screen play to get Poitras wide open at the top of the arc, who then drilled the basket and sent the game into overtime.

Johnson and Wales took the lead in the extra frame on a pair of free throws from Tom Garrick Jr. The Raiders had an opportunity to tie the game with seconds left but the shot came up short.

JWU was led by Esaie Touze who had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Quarry Greenway had 10 points and both Garrick Jr. and Frank Robinson had double-digit efforts off the bench, 14 and 11 respectively.

Rivier will return to action on December 6th when they travel up to Standish, Maine and battle Saint Joseph's College. Johnson and Wales will host Middlebury in a 3pm tip-off tomorrow afternoon.