Postseason Preview: Women’s Basketball to Host JWU-Providence in GNAC Play-In
NASHUA, N.H. – After posting a 7-7 record against Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) competition, the Rivier women's basketball team earned the eighth seed in the GNAC Tournament and is set to host No. 9 JWU-Providence in the Play-In round on Monday, Feb. 19 at 5:00 p.m. at the Muldoon Center. This is the first home playoff game for the Raiders since they bested Anna Maria in the First Round on Feb. 22, 2022.
Fourth-year head coach Deanna Purcell has now guided her squad to three straight playoff appearances (2020-21 season cancelled due to COVID-19).
After winning two of its first three games, Rivier then went on a seven-game skid until a win at Elms capped off the semester on a high note.
Rivier returned to action in early January and won three of its next four conference games with a loss to Bates in that span. After losses to Albertus Magnus and Lasell, Rivier defeated JWU-Providence at home by 20 points. Saint Joseph's (Me.), Regis (Mass.), and Trinity (Conn.) would hand the Raiders another losing streak before the Raiders earned two hard-fought road victories over Colby-Sawyer and Dean. On Senior Night, Mitchell came to Nashua and thwarted any post-game celebrations with a six-point victory.
Standout senior guard Lyric Grumblatt has been the team's leader yet again throughout the 2023-24 campaign and leads the GNAC in points per game (25.7) and steals per game (3.1) and is eighth in free-throw percentage (80%), as she cashed in 132 of her 165 attempts. For her efforts through the regular-season, Grumblatt was awarded the New England Women's Basketball Association (NEWBA) Player of the Week on one occasion and was the GNAC Player of the Week four times.
Major contributors also include Jessica Carrier, who leads GNAC in assists per game with 4.2, Anna Stenger, Rachel Guinn, and Alexa Dufries.
JWU finished with a 5-9 league ledger, with conference wins coming over Elms, Mitchell, Colby-Sawyer, and Dean. The Wildcats have struggled on the road this year, finishing 1-10 in games away from the Wildcat Center, including the loss to the Raiders on Jan. 27.
Seniors Sarah Wisniewski and Peyton Oliver each logged big minutes in the first matchup, with Oliver recording a double-double in the loss. Going into the tournament, Wisniewski leads the team with 14.0 points per game to go along with 6.6 rebounds per contest. Oliver's 9.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game make her tough to stop on both ends of the floor.
Despite the loss earlier this semester, JWU boasts a 20-7 record in the all-time series against Rivier, but recent history has sided with the Raiders who have won the last three meetings.
The winner of Monday's contest will advance to the GNAC Quarterfinals at No. 1 Saint Joseph's (Me.) on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. at the Harold Alfond Center.
