The Suffolk University Men's Basketball team opened up the 2010-11 season with a 76-69 victory over the Eastern Nazarene College Lions on Tuesday evening at the Regan Gymnasium.
Sophomore Matt Pepdjonovic (Quincy, Mass.) finished the game with 22 points and 23 rebounds, while sophomore Colin Halpin (Melrose, Mass.) had 21 points as the Boston College High School products combine to give the Rams the non-conference win.
Pepdjonovic, the 2009-10 GNAC Rookie of the Year records the first 20-20 game of his career, while recording his 13th career double-double. The 23 rebounds is also a career-high.
Suffolk took a 13-point lead heading into the intermission as the Rams took the first half 42-29. Pepdjonovic took the lead grabbing 10 points and 12 rebounds, nine of which came defensively. Suffolk took a 58-40 edge on the glass in the game. 16 of Pepdjonovic's rebounds came on the defensive side.
The Lions came out quick in the second half as they were able to cut the Suffolk lead to one on a three-pointer by freshman J.J. Johnson (Columbia, Md.) to make it 60-59 with five minutes to play. Eastern Nazarene would outscore Suffolk 40-34 in the final twenty minutes of play but would never be able to get ahead of the Rams on points.
Suffolk would answer the Lions' surge over the next two and a half minutes to push their lead back to seven with 2:40 to play as Pedjonovic hit a pair of jumpers and collected two rebounds, while Halpin also had a put back and grabbed a couple of boards.
Junior C.J. Gonzalez (Fall River, Mass.) got the Lions back within three points connecting on a jumper with :58 seconds remaing but the Rams would go 6-for-6 from the line in the final minute to seal the victory.
Junior Mike Gibbons (Ringwood, N.J.) hit all four of his free throws, while junior Justin Barall (East Hampton, Conn.) connected on both his shots from the line to give the Rams their first win in the season opener.
Gibbons finished the game with 10 points, while freshman guard Dennis Driftmeyer (Haverhill, Mass.) added six points along with four assists for the Rams.
Sophomore Aaron Johnson (Boston, Mass.) led the lions with 16 points, while junior Chima Ezeigbo (Roanoke, Va.) had a double-double with 12 points and 13 boards, but battled foul trouble for much of the evening.
The biggest difference in the game was the Rams ability to grab rebounds as Suffolk had 21 offensive boards converting 20 second chance points in the contest, compared to the Lions' five.
Suffolk also shot 77-percent from the free-throw line, highlighted by an 11-for-12 performance by Halpin. Halpin also chipped in with nine rebounds in the game. The 21 points and nine rebounds were career-highs for the sophomore forward.
The Lions will be back in action on Thursday as they take on UMass-Boston in non-league action beginning at 7:00pm. Suffolk will travel to New England College this weekend to take part of the New England College Invitational. Suffolk will open up the two-day tournament taking on UMaine Presque-Isle on Saturday at 1:00pm.