NEWTON, Mass. – With one second on the clock, the game tied at 66 and all eyes on him Adam Chick made a crucial free throw to send Suffolk men's basketball to a 67-66 win over Lasell Saturday afternoon.
Suffolk (8-17, 6-12 GNAC) secured its own fate in the GNAC Tournament with the win as the Rams will return to the Lasers' Athletic Center Tuesday night for a rematch with Lasell (17-8, 14-4 GNAC).
The trio of seniors Jake Meister, Adam Chick and Caleb Unni paved the way offensively for the Rams. Meister registered 19 points, while Chick provided 15 points off a 7-of-12 performance and eight rebounds. Unni rounded out the threesome with 13 points, shooting 3-of-6 from behind-the arc, and grabbed six boards. Matt Duquette added a spark on the glass with six boards all in the second half and the junior added six points.
Lasell received a game-high 29 points from Armin Omanovic. Pat Marchand and Richard O'Brien added 12 and 11, respectively.
Unni broke up a tied 6-all game with a bucket from long range to spark a Suffolk spurt that stretch the score to 18-8 in favor of the visitors with 12:18 on the clock in the first.
After a scoreless minute Meister sunk a triple to push the Rams' lead to 11, 21-10, and Quinn McCarthy kept it there with a lay-up. Over the next three minutes Lasell would respond to each of Suffolk's hoops and the visitors would remain in front by double-figures. Freebies from Omanovic and Marchand coupled with a trey from Richard O'Brien cut the deficit to six at the 3:02 mark. Chick broke up the run with a baby-jumper, but Omanovic answered for the Lasers to keep things a two possession game.
Neither team scored for over the next 1:30 and layups by Unni and Matt McLean sandwiched a Yordan Villalon free throw to send the Rams into half time up 37-28.
Out of the break things remained tight, but Suffolk slowly built a double-figure edge that blossomed to 16 points thanks to a traditional three-point play by Steven DiPrizio.
The Rams maintained the advantage with the Lasers chipping away at the deficit and cut things down to single digits at 3:30 thanks to a set of free throws by Omanovic.
Lasell outscored Suffolk 9-2 down the stretch to even the score at 66-all, but the free throw by Chick sealed the Rams' thrilling finish.