Men’s Basketball Falls to Brandeis, 84-65

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Rivier men's basketball team dropped a non-conference matchup against Brandeis at the Red Auerbach Gymnasium on Thursday afternoon, 84-65.

The loss halted the Raiders three game win streak, dropping them to 7-4 while the Judges improved to 9-2.

Early in the first half, the Raiders trailed by eight points but a fast-break layup from senior Odarius Cade and a three-pointer from junior Matt Constant narrowed the deficit to 17-14 with 13:01 remaining in the half. Brandeis responded with a 14-5 run over the next four minutes, extending their lead to 31-19. Graduate Kyler Bosse ended the Raiders' scoring drought by hitting a corner three-pointer, bringing the game within single digits. Despite this effort, the Judges went on a 23-10 run from beyond the arc in the closing stages of the opening frame, finishing the half with a 54-32 advantage.

Despite their second half effort, the Raiders could not close the gap and ultimately fell short, finishing the game with an 84-65 loss. Constant led the Raiders in scoring, dropping 13 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Graduate Joey Merrill and Cade provided 12 apiece, while Bosse added 11 points.

The Raiders hit the road for their Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener against Emmanuel (Mass.) at the Jean Yawkey Center on Saturday, Jan. 4. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.