Sweeney's 19 points off the bench lifts Raiders to victory

(Northfield, VT) Paced by freshman Deanna Purcell's (Hudson, NH) game high 27 points and recieving a huge lift off the bench from sophomore Erin Sweeney (Chicopee, MA), the Rivier College Raiders edged the Norwich University Cadets on the road, 75-74.

Holding a two point lead at the half, the Raiders' (9-6 overall, 3-1 GNAC) offense exploded to begin the second stanza. Over the first 12 minutes, Rivier built themselves a 16 point lead behind the sharp shooting effort from Sweeney. She scored eight points within a three possesion span that included two three-pointers.

However, Norwich would chip away and battle back with a 20-4 run that knoted the game at 70 as the clock showed three minutes to play. After a pair of free throws from Purcell, Norwich's Kristen Brown drilled a three to give the Cadets a 73-72 lead, their first lead since the two minute mark in the first half. Purcell calmly knocked down the next three free throws and Norwich's last-second attempt fell short as the Raiders held on for victory.

Senior Amandra Purcell (Hudson, NH) recorded her first double-double of the season as she contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Rivier, who have won 4 of their last 5, will host Suffolk University on Thursday night. Game time is set for 7:00 pm inside the Muldoon Gymnasium.