Men’s Basketball Falls to Saint Joseph (Conn.), 81-70 

WEST HARTFORD, CONN. – The Rivier men's basketball team fell to Saint Joseph (Conn.) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) road matchup on Saturday afternoon at Calhoun Gymnasium, 81-70.

With the loss, the Raiders fell to 10-6 (3-2 GNAC) while the Blue Jays improved to 10-5 (4-0 GNAC).

Both teams opened the game with stifling defense, resulting in a tied 6-6 contest with 12:48 remaining in the first half. The Blue Jays embarked on a six-point run, but junior Matt Constant and first-year Matt Youngquist scored on back-to-back plays to trim the deficit to two heading into the under-12 media timeout. Out of the break, Constant drained a three-pointer to give the Raiders their first lead of the night at 13-12 midway through the frame. Saint Joseph answered with a dominant 21-6 run, building a 34-20 advantage with 5:14 left in the half. Constant stopped the surge with back-to-back three-pointers, cutting the lead to single digits as both teams traded baskets in the final minutes, sending the game into halftime with the Raiders trailing 42-33.

The Blue Jays opened the second half with a 9-4 run, extending their lead to a game-high 51-37. The Raiders answered with a 7-0 surge, fueled by baskets from senior Cheikh Gueye and Constant, trimming the deficit to 51-45. Saint Joseph responded with back-to-back buckets, but junior Robenson Baguidy and senior Joey Merrill hit consecutive three-pointers to make it 55-51 with 14:26 remaining. Rivier kept battling, tying the game at 60-60 with a pair of free throws by Constant at the 9:14 mark. The Blue Jays countered with a 10-4 run to reclaim control. Gueye converted an and-one layup to bring the Raiders back within single digits, but Saint Joseph sealed the game with an 11-3 run, securing an 81-70 victory. 

Constant led the Raiders with 24 points, adding six rebounds and four assists to his standout performance. Merrill contributed 15 points while pulling down eight rebounds. Gueye recorded a season-high 14 points while shooting 5-of-7 (71%) from the field. Baguidy rounded out the double-digit scoring with 11 points on 4-of-8 (50%) shooting, while also dishing out four assists.

The Raiders are back in action on the road for a conference matchup against Anna Maria on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at the Fuller Activities Center. Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m.