Women's Basketball Wins Second Straight, Downs Rivier 73-65

NASHUA, N.H.—Junior Christina Gauvin (Dudley, Mass.) scored a game-high 24 points as the Anna Maria College women's basketball team won their second-straight Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup with a 73-65 victory over the Raiders of Rivier University on Saturday.

The AMCATS improve to 8-15 overall and 2-8 in league play with today's victory, while Rivier falls to 8-15 overall and 3-7 in GNAC action.

AMCAT LEADERS

Gauvin scored her 24 points on a 6-for-15 effort from the floor with three three-pointers. She also finished nearly perfect from the free-throw line, shooting 9-for-10.

Sophomore Kristina Russo (South Windsor, Conn.) scored 16 points and hit a game-high four three-pointers, followed by junior Nicole Mareiro (Acushnet, Mass.) with 10 points off the bench.

Senior Lindsay Bond (Webster, Mass.) recorded a game-high 11 rebounds, including nine defensive boards.

RIVIER LEADERS

Four members of the Raiders squad scored in double-figures, led by Caitlyn Perry and Rebecca DeBaldo with 13 points each. Savannna Butterfield finished with 12, followed by Jennifer Thorpe with 11 points.

Both DeBaldo and Butterfield finished with nine rebounds apiece.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Anna Maria took control early in the first quarter and led by eight at the end of the first frame. A 17-14 scoring advantage in the second quarter gave the AMCATS a 33-25 halftime lead.

The AMCATS used the beginning of the second half to build a double-digit lead and held their largest lead, 21 points, 47 seconds into the fourth quarter.

From there, things started to break down for the AMCATS, as Rivier outscored their guests 20-7 over the next eight minutes.

The Raiders came within six points at 68-62 with 46 seconds left but the game, but they were forced to foul for possession and put Russo on the line twice, giving them two more points. With 18 seconds left, Rivier's Perry drained a three to cut the lead to five, but Anna Maria hit three more free-throws over the final 16 seconds to hold on to the victory.

FINAL COMPARISONS

Anna Maria shot 23-for-59 from the floor (39.0 percent), narrowly edging Rivier at 38.6 percent (22-for-57). The AMCATS hit 12 three-pointers on the day, shooting at 46.2 percent from behind the arc, while Rivier finished just 3-for-21 (14.3 percent) from long-distance.

Anna Maria held a 18-17 advantage in points off turnovers and an 7-2 edge in second-chance points. Rivier held a 30-18 lead in points in the paint.

The AMCATS also bested the Raiders on the boards, holding a 44-36 advantage in rebounds.

WHAT'S NEXT

Anna Maria hosts Trinity College on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. for the final non-conference game of the year before hosting St. Joseph's College (Maine) on Saturday for senior day.