Grumblatt Sets GNAC Scoring Record in 79-68 Win Over Anna Maria

PAXTON, MASS. — Graduate student Lyric Grumblatt made history on Tuesday evening at the Fuller Activities Center, surpassing Aliah Curry's 2,267 career points to become the all-time leading scorer in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) history. Her record-breaking performance helped propel the Rivier women's basketball team to a 79-68 victory over Anna Maria.

The win marks the third consecutive triumph over Anna Maria and improved the Raiders to 9-8 (5-1 GNAC), while the AMCATS fell to 8-9 (3-3 GNAC).

The Raiders' offense found its rhythm early, with graduate student Hannah Muchemore knocking down a three-pointer to give Rivier an 8-4 lead with just under eight minutes remaining in the first quarter. Anna Maria responded with an 11-4 run, claiming their first lead of the night at 15-12 at the 3:55 mark. Three free throws from Grumblatt and a layup from senior Alexa Dufries allowed the Raiders to regain the lead at 17-15 by the end of the opening frame.

Back-to-back three-pointers from Muchemore and Grumblatt gave Rivier a seven-point cushion midway through the second quarter, but the AMCATS continued to chip away at the lead, trimming it to 32-29 with 3:09 remaining in the half. Grumblatt and first-year Gianna Donato countered by combining for the Raiders' next ten points, helping Rivier head into the halftime break with a 42-35 advantage.

Coming out of the half, first-year Sydney Perry scored six consecutive points as part of a 14-5 Rivier run, which featured contributions from four different Raiders and extended their lead to 56-40. Anna Maria managed to shorten the deficit to 10, but Dufries answered with a corner three-pointer, giving the Raiders a 65-52 advantage heading into the final quarter.

Anna Maria narrowed the deficit to single digits, but Grumblatt grabbed an offensive rebound and scored her 2,268th career point on a putback, surpassing the GNAC all-time scoring record and restoring the Raiders' double-digit lead with eight minutes left. The AMCATS closed the gap to six with 3:08 remaining, but a layup from Perry and back-to-back steals by senior Jessica Carrier helped the Raiders secure a 79-68 victory.

Grumblatt led the Raiders on her historic day, recording her fourth double-double of the season with 23 points and 15 rebounds. Muchemore followed with 18 points, shooting 6-of-11 (55%) from beyond the arc. Perry also posted her fourth double-double of the season, contributing 15 points and 15 rebounds on 7-of-11 (64%) shooting. Donato added 14 points and five rebounds, while Dufries provided eight points off the bench.

The Raiders outrebounded the AMCATS 42-33 and held a slight edge in points off turnovers (16-13), second-chance points (14-10), and points in the paint (32-28). Additionally, Rivier knocked down 10 three-pointers compared to Anna Maria's 5 and shot 34.5% from the three-point line.

The Raiders return to GNAC action on Saturday, Jan. 25 in a home contest against Albertus Magnus at the Muldoon Center. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m.