Women's Basketball Falls at Rivier, 70-64

Nashua, N.H.—The Anna Maria College Women's Basketball team fell to the Raiders of Rivier University 70-64 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Saturday afternoon. The loss drops the AMCATS to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in GNAC play while the Raiders improve to 2-5 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Junior guard Kristina Russo (South Windsor, Conn.) led the AMCATS with 22 points while senior Deja Taitt (Cambia Heights, N.Y.) collected a game-high 16 rebounds. Christina Gauvin (Dudley, Mass.) chipped in with 14 points and seven rebounds.

Four Raiders posted double-digit days for a combined 66 points. Senior forward Savanna Butterfield notched a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Classmate, Kaitlyn Perry led with 18 points while Caitlin Bulger and Kaylee Kacavas both notched 16 points in the victory.

Rivier shot 42.4 percent from in the paint while Anna Maria shot 33.3 percent. The AMCATS outshot the Raiders from beyond the arc going 7-for-23 compared to 5-for-18. They also outrebounded Rivier 46 to 44.

The AMCATS forced the Raiders to turn the ball over 18 time and added 13 points off of those turnovers while the Raiders forced 13 AMCAT turnovers and converted those into nine points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Just a minute into play, Raider's Caitlin Bulger opened up scoring with a three-point jumper. The AMCATS were quick to respond as senior Emily Capstick (Worcester, Mass.) drained a three-pointer less than a minute later (3-3).  Kacavas and Butterfield gave Rivier the 7-3 lead after putting up four points with back-to-back layups. Russo brought the AMCATS within one point sinking a three-pointer with 6:36 to go in the quarter. Kacavas, who led the Raiders in the first quarter with nine points notched a three-pointer and another layup to take a 12-6 lead. With five minutes to go in the quarter the Raiders extended their lead with two free throws made by Butterfield and a three pointer by Bulger (17-8). Freshman Leah Wright finished out scoring in the first quarter for the AMCATS draining a three-pointer with two minutes on the clock. Rivier claimed a 22-13 lead at the end of the first.

Back to back three-pointers and a layup made by Russo brought the AMCATS back within one point early in the second quarter (22-21). With four minutes to go Gauvin made a layup and Capstick sank a jumper to tie the game at 25 points apiece. The AMCATS took their first lead of the game just a minute later with a made jump shot by Gauvin (27-25). The home team took the lead back before halftime as Caitlyn Perry successfully drove to the basket twice, 32-29.

The AMCATS opened up scoring and took back the lead early in the second half with two layups and a foul shot made by Taitt (34-32). A 6-1 run made by the Raiders forced an AMCAT timeout with 4:22 on the clock as they fell behind, 45-36. The AMCATS scored once following the timeout while Rivier went on a 7-0 run over the remaining four minutes of the third quarter (56-38).

Russo, Gauvin and freshman Hailey Moore (Worcester, Mass.) combined for 19 points out of the AMCATS 26 points scored in the last quarter while Rivier combined for a total of 14 points, nine notched by Perry. The AMCATS came within six with a pair of last second free throws made by Gauvin. The Raiders ultimately took the 70-64 victory.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Anna Maria hosts Framingham State University on Saturday Dec. 10^th for a 1:00 p.m. start. Rivier hosts Fisher College on Sunday, December 11^th tipping off at 1:00 p.m.