Laconia's Matt Constant had 25 points to lead Rivier past Brooklyn on Saturday at the Muldoon Center. (Courtesy photo by Frank Fichera/Rivier Athletics)

NASHUA — The Rivier men’s basketball team used 16 three-pointers to best Brooklyn in a non-conference clash on Saturday afternoon at the Muldoon Center, winning 90-63.

The victory improved the Raiders’ record to 5-1, marking the best through six games in the program’s history. The Bulldogs fell to 1-5 with the loss.

Junior Matt Constant caught fire early, sinking four three-pointers in the opening six minutes to give Rivier a 17-8 lead and force the Bulldogs into a timeout with 13:18 left in the first half. The Raiders built on their momentum as senior Odarius Cade drained a three-pointer and classmate Cheikh Gueye scored on back-to-back layups to extend the Rivier lead to 16 points with 9:18 remaining. Brooklyn was able to trim the deficit to 10 before first-year Steph Barnes responded with back-to-back three-pointers, pushing Rivier’s advantage to 33-14 with just under seven minutes to go in the half. The Bulldogs closed the period on a 13-7 run, but the Raiders held a 40-27 lead at the break.

The Bulldogs cut the lead to 11 with 17:53 remaining, but graduate Kyler Bosse responded with four points to push the Raiders’ lead back to 15. Graduate Joey Merrill followed up with two three-pointers, extending Rivier’s advantage to 52-33 at the 15:15 mark. The Raiders then sparked a 15-7 run over a four-minute span, capped by a fast-break dunk from Bosse, giving them a commanding 67-42 lead with 10 minutes to play. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, and the Raiders cruised to a 90-63 victory.

The Raiders shot an efficient 16-of-32 (50%) from beyond the arc compared to the Bulldogs’ 3-of-15 (20%). Rivier also dominated the boards with a 36-27 rebounding advantage and lead in assists, 22-8. Additionally, the Raiders beat out Brooklyn in points off turnovers, 16-8.

Constant led the Raiders with 25 points on 9-of-17 (52%) shooting, including seven three-pointers. Merrill recorded his third double-double of the season, tallying 22 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists. Bosse added 15 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Barnes rounded out the double-digit scoring, providing 10 points on 3-of-6 (50%) shooting.

The Raiders will be back in action on Tuesday as they travel to face Plymouth St. at the John C. Foley Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SUFFOLK 77, RIVIER 73

Despite a late rally, the Rivier women’s basketball team fell short in a non-conference matchup at the Muldoon Center.

With the result, the Raiders dropped to 0-5, while the Rams improved to 5-1.

After an early 4-0 deficit, Rivier responded with an 8-0 run fueled by six consecutive points from first-year Sydney Perry and a layup by senior Alexa Dufries to take an 8-4 lead at the 5:55 mark. Perry continued her strong start, adding six more points to close the quarter, giving the Raiders a 14-13 lead at the end of the frame.

Four points from senior Lyric Grumblatt and a three-pointer from Dufries forced the Rams into a timeout with 8:10 remaining in the first half, as the Raiders led 21-13. However, Suffolk embarked on a dominant 27-6 run to close the half with a 40-27 advantage.

The Rams extended their lead to their largest margin with 1:27 remaining in the third quarter, scoring on an and-one layup to make it 58-41 in favor of the visitors. Seniors Hannah Muchemore and Grumblatt responded with back-to-back layups to cut the deficit to 13, but Suffolk added a pair of free throws to push the score to 60-45. Sophomore Alyssa Scharn responded with a pull-up jumper, bringing Rivier within 13 at 60-47 heading into the final quarter.

Rivier opened the final quarter with a 7-0 run, sparked by a three-pointer from Muchemore and two baskets from Grumblatt, cutting the deficit to six. The teams traded baskets until Muchemore’s pull-up jumper brought the Raiders within four at the 4:33 mark. Suffolk responded with a pair of free throws to extend their lead to six with 2:16 remaining, but Perry answered with a layup and two free throws to make it a two-point game at 68-66. Muchemore made a free throw to bring Rivier within one with 1:03 left. However, Suffolk hit a crucial three-pointer to push their lead to 71-67 with just 47 seconds to go. After a Suffolk free throw, Rivier found themselves down by five with 17 seconds remaining. Grumblatt knocked down a quick three-pointer to close the gap to two. Despite the effort, the Rams were able to seal the game at the free-throw line, securing the four-point victory.

Perry notched her third double-double of the season, tallying 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting (64.3%), including a perfect 9-of-9 from the free-throw line, along with 15 rebounds. Grumblatt matched her scoring output with 27 points of her own and added seven rebounds. Muchemore contributed 12 points, seven assists, and four steals.

The Raiders return to action on Tuesday as they travel to face Plymouth St. at the John C. Foley Gymnasium at 5 p.m.

MEN’S HOCKEY

ANNA MARIA 5, RIVIER 1

The Rivier men’s ice hockey team was bested by Anna Maria in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action at Conway Arena on the second annual Youth Hockey Night.

The Raiders dropped to 2-2-1 (0-2-1 MASCAC) while the AMCATS improved to 5-1-0 (2-0-0 MASCAC).

The visitors got on the board early into the opening frame, capitalizing on an odd-man rush to light the lamp 50 seconds into the contest. Minutes later, Anna Maria doubled its lead as Matthew Bryne pushed in a loose puck in the crease.

With 1:13 left before the second intermission, sophomore Jake Laville scored his sixth goal of the season on the powerplay to make it 2-1.

The AMCATS’ Matthew Gilbert scored back-to-back unassisted goals just eight seconds apart to put the visitors in the driver’s seat, 4-1, early in the third. Braden McKinnon would tally an unassisted goal off a faceoff win at the 6:55 mark to increase Anna Maria’s cushion to four goals.

The Raiders were outshot 48-30 in the loss as senior netminder Luke Newell made 43 saves.Rivier went 1-for-3 on the man advantage while the AMCATS went 50% (1-of-2) on their powerplay opportunities.

The regular season continues for Rivier with a non-conference clash against Nichols on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. at Conway Arena. The Raiders will be collecting nonperishable items for their Thanksgiving Food Drive prior to puck drop.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

WORCESTER STATE 1, RIVIER 0

The Raiders fell in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) showdown on Youth Hockey Night at Conway Arena.

Local youth ice hockey players joined the Raiders on the ice for starting lineup announcements and in the lobby for a post-game meet and greet.

The Raiders dropped to 2-6-0 (2-2-0 MASCAC), while the Lancers improved to 4-4-0 (4-1-0 MASCAC).

The opening frame began with a borage of shots from Rivier who outshot its opposition 8-1 in the first two minutes and thirty seconds. The Lancers started to chip away their shot total in the second half of the first period, but both teams would come up empty heading into the first break.

At the 7:35 mark of the second period, the Raiders saw their best chance of the game as senior forward Brianna Paxson rung a shot off the post. Just under five later, the Lancers built off their power-play momentum and potted the contest’s lone goal at the 18:07 mark.

Rivier posed a comeback throughout the third period, outshooting Worcester St.,15-2, in the final 20 minutes and 38-17 in the game, but came up empty as the final horn sounded.

Senior goaltender Rachel Hinkley logged 16 saves in the match.

Next up, the Raiders will hit the road Tuesda to take on Bowdoin in a non-conference bout at the Sidney J. Watson Arena in Brunswick, Maine. Puck drop is slated for 4 p.m.