Women’s Hoop Prevails Over Rivier, 74-68

WESTON, Mass. - Regis College opened a double-digit advantage in the third quarter and then held off a Rivier University fourth quarter rally to earn a 74-68 victory Saturday afternoon in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball game at Higgins Court.

Madi Zancan (Cumberland, R.I.) earned her 10^th double-double of the season, leading the Pride with 26 points and 13 rebounds as she shot 8-for-14 from the field and 9-for-12 from the free throw line. Haley Lightbody (Reading, Mass.) earned her third career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds along with three assists and three steals, and Jordyn Striggles (Raynham, Mass.) finished with 15 points.

Alexa Dufries hit a three-pointer midway through the first quarter to put Rivier ahead, 5-4, but Regis responded with 12 unanswered points over the next four minutes, featuring three-pointers by Courtney Doherty (Willimantic, Conn.) and Zancan. The Raiders quickly closed their deficit with eight straight points to conclude the first period, capped by another three-pointer from Dufries.

The Pride scored the first six points of the second quarter, including consecutive baskets by Zancan, but the Raiders bounced back with 10 unanswered points, featuring long distance jumpers by Dufries and Mia Fantauzzi, with two made free throws by Lyric Grumblatt putting Rivier back on top, 23-22. Jumpers by Serenity Ayala (North Brookfield, Mass.) and Bella George (Lynnfield, Mass.) allowed the Pride to take the lead for good, with Regis holding a 26-25 advantage at halftime.

The third quarter started the same way as the second quarter, with Regis scoring the first six points of the period as part of a 10-1 scoring run, but Dufries earned a layup and a three-pointer to bring Rivier back within three points at 36-33. The Pride rattled off a 9-0 scoring run to establish their largest lead of the game at 45-33, but Grumblatt made two three-pointers and then assisted on a three-pointer by Rachel Guinn to close the Raider deficit to five points before a three-pointer by Striggles at the end of the period brought the Regis lead back to eight points at 50-42.

Grumblatt scored 22 of her game-high 39 points in the fourth quarter, but the Raiders could only close to within three points during the period, the last time at 68-65 with 17 seconds remaining in regulation. In the final seconds, Zancan connected on four free throws and George was a perfect 2-for-2 as the Pride held off the visiting team's comeback attempt.

Grumblatt shot 12-for-26 from the field, including 6-for-12 from behind the three-point line, and 9-for-10 from the free throw line for her season-high scoring total, while Dufries finished with 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds. As a team, Rivier shot 34.9 percent (22-for-63) from the field, including 12-for-30 from behind the three-point line, and 85.7 percent (12-for-14) from the free throw line.

The Pride hit over 50 percent of their field goal attempts in the second half to finish at 41.9 percent (26-for-62) field goal shooting, including 6-for-14 from long distance, as well as 80 percent (16-for-20) from the free throw line. Regis won the rebounding battle, 46-34, and scored 21 points off 20 Rivier turnovers.

Regis College (7-14, 5-5 GNAC) heads west to face Elms College Wednesday, Feb. 7, starting at 7 p.m. at Picknelly Arena. Rivier University (7-14, 5-6 GNAC) hosts Trinity College Monday, Feb. 5, beginning at 7 p.m. before resuming conference play at Colby-Sawyer Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m.