PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Suffolk men's basketball team was limited to just 51 points at Johnson & Wales as the Wildcats put on the pressure and excelled offensively to defeat the Rams, 77-51, inside the Wildcat Center Wednesday night.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 51, JWU 61
RECORDS: Suffolk (4-14, 3-8 GNAC) | JWU (8-8, 8-2 GNAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Over the first half of the contest it remained a two-possession game with JWU in front for the majority of the way. At the 8:25 minute mark Kevin Querusio connected on a jump shot to keep it a four-point game, 16-12, before the Wildcats roared out to a 15-0 stretch to take a put the Rams in a 31-12 hole.
Michael Hagopian halted the stretch with a good trey and George Grillakis followed with a lay-up, but a pair of freebies by Anthony Jernigan made it a 33-17 JWU game at the half.
It was hoop-for-hoop of intermission with the Wildcats keeping a Rams comeback at bay. Suffolk dwindled the lead down to 11, however, with 12:47 to play on a Austin Prevost jumper, but JWU responded by pushing the lead to 20 for the first time just three minutes later on a pair of Jernigan free throws.
The Wildcats did not look back from there, handling the blue-and-gold the rest of the way to walk away with the 71-55 victory.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Grillakis was the lone Ram in double figures with 10 points off a 5-for-9 night from the floor. The freshman was two rebounds shy of a double-double effort, finishing the night with a team-best eight, including six on the defensive end, and contributed one assist and one steal to his performance.
- Prevost recorded nine points, four boards, one block and one steal.
- Hagopian added eight points, while Thomas Duffy pulled won seven rebounds.
- Suffolk went 20-for-49 for the night to finish with a 40.8 connection rate from the floor, struggled from three-point range and at the charity stripe, shooting just 25.0 and 57.1 percent, respectively.
- JWU held the upper hand on the glass, 39-34, and forced 27 Suffolk mistakes, converting each turnover into one point.
NOTEABLES
- Grillakis led Suffolk offensively (10 pts.) and defensively (8 rbs.) for the first time in his career.
- Prevost made his first collegiate start.
POST-GAME PIC
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Rams return to Regan Gymnasium Saturday, Jan. 28 for Suffokl's final double header of the regular season. The women's squad gets the action underway at 1 p.m. versus Saint Joseph (Conn.), before the men welcome Anna Maria to Beacon Hill for a 3:15 p.m. matchup.