Late Comeback Falls Short, Women’s Basketball Drops to Suffolk

NASHUA, N.H. — Despite a late rally, the Rivier women's basketball team fell short in a non-conference matchup against Suffolk on Saturday afternoon at the Muldoon Center, losing 77-73.

With the result, the Raiders dropped to 0-5, while the Rams improved to 5-1.

After an early 4-0 deficit, Rivier responded with an 8-0 run fueled by six consecutive points from first-year Sydney Perry and a layup by senior Alexa Dufries to take an 8-4 lead at the 5:55 mark. Perry continued her strong start, adding six more points to close the quarter, giving the Raiders a 14-13 lead at the end of the frame.

Four points from senior Lyric Grumblatt and a three-pointer from Dufries forced the Rams into a timeout with 8:10 remaining in the first half, as the Raiders led 21-13. However, Suffolk embarked on a dominant 27-6 run to close the half with a 40-27 advantage.

The Rams extended their lead to their largest margin with 1:27 remaining in the third quarter, scoring on an and-one layup to make it 58-41 in favor of the visitors. Seniors Hannah Muchemore and Grumblatt responded with back-to-back layups to cut the deficit to 13, but Suffolk added a pair of free throws to push the score to 60-45. Sophomore Alyssa Scharn responded with a pull-up jumper, bringing Rivier within 13 at 60-47 heading into the final quarter.

Rivier opened the final quarter with a 7-0 run, sparked by a three-pointer from Muchemore and two baskets from Grumblatt, cutting the deficit to six. The teams traded baskets until Muchemore's pull-up jumper brought the Raiders within four at the 4:33 mark. Suffolk responded with a pair of free throws to extend their lead to six with 2:16 remaining, but Perry answered with a layup and two free throws to make it a two-point game at 68-66. Muchemore made a free throw to bring Rivier within one with 1:03 left. However, Suffolk hit a crucial three-pointer to push their lead to 71-67 with just 47 seconds to go.  After a Suffolk free throw, Rivier found themselves down by five with 17 seconds remaining. Grumblatt knocked down a quick three-pointer to close the gap to two. Despite the effort, the Rams were able to seal the game at the free-throw line, securing the four-point victory.

Perry notched her third double-double of the season, tallying 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting (64.3%), including a perfect 9-of-9 from the free-throw line, along with 15 rebounds. Grumblatt matched her scoring output with 27 points of her own and added seven rebounds. Muchemore contributed 12 points, seven assists, and four steals.

The Raiders return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 26, as they travel to face Plymouth St. at the John C. Foley Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m.