NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Junior G Cori Boston received a long inbounds pass from junior G/F Quincy Williams and made a lay-up as the final buzzer sounded to deliver the Norwich University men's basketball team a dramatic 60-59 victory over Suffolk University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest Tuesday evening at Andrews Hall.
Norwich (12-10, 7-8 GNAC) trailed 59-58 with four seconds to play, but Suffolk's Mike Gibbons missed the front end of a one-and-one and the Cadets rebounded the miss and called timeout with 1.9 seconds left. Williams, who was being heavily pressured along the right sideline, lofted a pass nearly 65 feet to Boston, who maneuvered between two defenders to make an athletic catch underneath the basket. The Robert Morris transfer then turned and laid the ball in just before the buzzer sounded, sending the Norwich crowd into a frenzy.
Norwich trailed 54-45 with less than seven minutes to play, but the Cadets finished the game on a furious 15-5 run to steal the victory from the Rams (6-16, 2-13 GNAC). Williams and Boston combined to score eight of NU's 15 points during the game-ending spurt. The win moves the Cadets into a tie for fifth place in the GNAC standings with just three regular season games to play.
Junior G/F Jaren Jeffcoat topped the Cadets in scoring with 15 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Sophomore F Antonio Davis posted his double-double of the season with 11 points and a team-high 12 rebounds, while senior F Israel Guardado added 11 points off the bench. Boston, who played just three minutes in the first half due to early foul trouble, finished with 10 points. Williams netted 10 points too, as the Cadets placed five players in double figures. Sophomore G Darell Marshall led the Cadets defensively with a game-high five steals.
Matt Pepdjonovic paced Suffolk with a team-high 15 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. The freshman center fouled out with 2:47 to play in the second half, and that certainly appeared to hurt the Rams' cause. Allan Ray chipped in 14 points off the bench, while Mickey McEntee scored 11.
Suffolk made just 14-of-22 free throws, and the Rams missed the front end of two one-and-one opportunities in the final 48 seconds to keep Norwich in the game. Norwich, meanwhile, converted 19-of-24 free throws. The Cadets sunk 9-of-11 from the charity stripe in the final 4:26 to aid their rally.
Five points by Davis helped Norwich jump out to a 7-3 advantage less than three minutes into the game. A three-pointer and a lay-up by McEntee fueled a 7-0 spurt by Suffolk that gave the Rams a 10-7 lead at the 14:58 mark. Four quick points by Guardado helped Norwich tie the score at 11-11 less than a minute later, but another triple by McEntee ignited an 11-1 run by the Rams that gave the visitors a 22-12 spread with 10:29 to play before halftime.
Six points by Jeffcoat sustained a 10-3 spurt by Norwich, which drew the Cadets to within three points (25-22) at the 7:37 mark, but Suffolk was able to build its lead back up to seven points (34-27) at the intermission. McEntee netted all 11 of his points in the opening stanza to lead all scorers. Davis played a strong first half for Norwich, scoring nine points and snaring eight caroms.
Neither team shot well in the opening 20 minutes, with Norwich making 31.3 percent (10-of-32) of its shots and Suffolk knocking down 38.7 percent (12-of-31) of its attempts from the floor.
Norwich began the second half on fire, outscoring Suffolk 9-2 over the first 4:28 to grab a 39-36 lead. The Rams settled down, though, ripping off seven straight points to edge in front 43-39 at the 12:09 mark. Two lay-ups by Boston and a jumper by Guardado moved the Cadets ahead 45-43 with 10:37 to play, but Suffolk took off on an 11-0 run over the next four minutes to seize a 54-45 advantage with 6:59 showing on the clock. The Rams were held to just one field goal the rest of the way, however, opening the door for Norwich's comeback.
Norwich was able to win despite shooting just 29.2 percent (19-of-65) from the field for the game. Suffolk hit 37.7 percent (20-of-53) of its shots from the floor. The Rams turned the ball over 29 times, while the Cadets made 16 miscues. SU held a 49-36 rebounding edge, which translated into a 16-6 advantage in second-chance points
(Story courtesy of Norwich University Sports Information)