Men's Basketball Edged by Anna Maria, 72-70

PAXTON, MASS. — The Rivier men's basketball team was bested by Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponent Anna Maria on Tuesday evening at the Fuller Activities Center, 72-70.

With the loss the Raiders dropped to 10-7 (3-3 GNAC) while the AMCATS improved to 7-9 (4-2 GNAC)

Graduate student Joey Merrill opened the game strong, scoring the first 10 points for Rivier, giving the Raiders a 10-8 lead with just under 15 minutes remaining in the first half. Rivier then went on an 11-3 run, with contributions from four different players, forcing Anna Maria to call a timeout with the Raiders leading 20-11 at the 10:47 mark. The AMCATS responded with an 8-2 run, trimming the deficit to single digits, but graduate student Kyler Bosse, scored eight consecutive points to extend the Rivier lead to 27-19. Anna Maria continued to fight back, narrowing the margin to 33-31 with just 2:44 left in the first half. The teams traded baskets to close out the period, with Rivier holding a slight 39-33 advantage at the break.

A layup from senior Cheikh Gueye gave the Raiders their largest lead of the night at 46-35 early in the second half. The AMCATS countered with a 15-7 run over a seven-minute span, bringing the game within a possession. A basket from junior Robenson Baguidy and an and-one layup from graduate student Ra'Quan Groves pushed the Rivier lead back to six at 53-47 with 8:26 to play. Anna Maria continued to battle, eventually taking their first lead of the night, 65-63, with 2:41 left. A three-pointer pushed the AMCATS' lead to five, but four consecutive points from Bosse brought the Raiders back within one at 68-67 with 51 seconds remaining. The AMCATS re-established their four-point advantage with nine seconds left, and despite a final push from the Raiders, Rivier could not convert on a last-second opportunity, falling 72-70.

Senior Odarius Cade paced the Raiders with 17 points, while Bosse delivered a strong performance with 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Merrill notched his fifth double-double of the season, tallying 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Groves made a significant impact off the bench, scoring 10 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting effort.

The Raiders return home for a GNAC matchup against Albertus Magnus on Saturday, Jan. 25 at the Muldoon Center. Tip-off is set for noon.