Grumblatt Notches 2,000th as Women’s Basketball Downs Plymouth St.

PLYMOUTH, N.H. — Senior guard Lyric Grumblatt became the second member of the Rivier women's basketball team to surpass the 2,000-point milestone on the way to a 55-40 victory against non-conference opponent, Plymouth St., on Tuesday afternoon at Foley Gymnasium.

The victory marks Rivier's first win over Plymouth St. since the 2015-16 season, ending a six-game losing streak. With the result, the Raiders earned their first win of the season, improving to 1-5, while the Panthers dropped to 2-5.

The Raiders jumped to an early 8-2 lead with 3:30 left in the first quarter, thanks to three baskets from Grumblatt and a layup by first-year Sydney Perry. Senior Alexa Dufries extended the advantage with a three-pointer, pushing Rivier ahead 11-5 with 2:54 remaining in the period. The Panthers responded with an 8-1 run to close out the quarter, taking a 13-12 lead into the first break.

Senior Rachel Guinn scored seven consecutive points to help the Raiders reclaim the lead at 19-16 with just under seven minutes remaining in the half. Plymouth St. responded with a run of their own, briefly retaking the lead at 23-21. Grumblatt answered with back-to-back three-pointers, pushing the Raiders ahead 27-23 at the 2:31 mark. Grumblatt then sank her third three-pointer in as many attempts at the 1:07 mark, notching her 2,000th career point and extending the lead to 32-25. She capped off the half with two free throws, giving Rivier a 34-25 advantage heading into the break.

Neither team found its rhythm to start the second half, with both squads combining for just 17 points in the third quarter. Rivier outscored the Panthers 10-7 in the period, with Grumblatt contributing seven of those points. Senior Hannah Muchemore added a basket to round out the Raiders' scoring for the quarter.

Grumblatt and Muchemore hit back-to-back three-pointers, giving the Raiders their largest lead of the night at 50-32 with just over eight minutes left to play. Plymouth State answered with a 6-0 run, but it wasn't enough as the Raiders secured the victory.

Grumblatt capped off her historic performance with 28 points, shooting 9-of-17 (52.9%) from the field and 6-of-9 (66.7%) from beyond the arc, while also contributing six rebounds and seven steals. Guinn added 10 points and eight rebounds, and Muchemore chipped in with eight points and seven assists.

The Raiders will be back in action for a home game against non-conference opponent Framingham St. on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the Muldoon Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.