STANDISH, Maine – Rivier University (2-20, 1-14 GNAC) snapped a 19-game losing streak with a 60-57 victory over Saint Joseph's College (11-11, 8-7 GNAC) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's basketball action at the Harold Alfond Center on Wednesday evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Rivier opened the game on an 11-2 run, with eight points from freshman guard Tristian Givens (Windsor, Conn.), but Saint Joseph's posted a 12-2 scoring burst late in the half and held a 30-29 edge heading into intermission.

The Raiders led by as many as 12 points in the second stanza, but the Monks rallied with a 14-2 outbreak, capped by a pair of John Crawley (Fitchburg, Mass.) freebies, to tie the game at 50-apiece with 6:12 remaining.

The hosts claimed their first lead of the half when junior forward Quinn Richardson-Newton (Saco, Maine) made it a 56-55 score off a layup with 33 seconds left. But Rivier freshman guard Joshua L'Heureux (Dracut, Mass.) nailed a three-pointer at the 12-second mark and senior forward David Lorden (Pepperell, Mass.) sank two free throws with three seconds on the clock to clinch the Raiders' first victory since November 18th.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Richardson-Newton led the Monks with 11 points
• Sophomore forward Jae Johns (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) scored 10 points with four rebounds
• Sophomore guard Ian Mileikis (Auburn, Maine) added 10 points
• Freshman guard Mario Nery (Bronx, N.Y.) tallied five points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals

LEADERS – RIVIER:

• Givens netted a game-high 28 points with seven rebounds and five assists
• Lorden added 10 points and nine boards with two steals and a pair of blocked shots
• Freshman guard Keith Poitier (East Hartford, Conn.) chipped in with six points, four rebounds, and six assists

NEXT!

Both teams return to action Saturday, when Saint Joseph's travels to Norwich University and Rivier plays at Mount Ida College. Both GNAC games will begin at 1:00 PM.

#GOMONKS

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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.