Junior Jennifer Ruys (Wallingford, Conn.) scored a career-high 31 points in an 87-70 win for the Suffolk University Women's Basketball team over the Rivier University Raiders on Wednesday evening in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.
Suffolk rebounded nicely after Saturday's upset loss to Emerson College as they now pull neck and neck in the GNAC standings with Rivier as both teams stand at a 6-1 mark for second place in the league behind Emmanuel College (7-0).
The win for the Rams snaps a five-game win streak for the Raiders as Suffolk improves to a 14-5 overall mark on the year.
Suffolk came out quick in the first four minutes of the contest as they jumped to an early 13-2 lead with senior Jacqueline Vienneau (Salem, N.H.) connecting on back-to-back layups en route to a 14-point first half. Vienneau would close out their first half connecting on a three-pointer in the final minute as the Rams were able to take a 44-34 edge into the break.
Sophomore Iliana Quadri (Sudbury, Mass.) was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in the opening 20 minutes as Suffolk shot 52.8-percent as a team (19-for-36) in the half.
Ruys would take over in the second half with a 24-point effort in the period, highlighted with a perfect 10-for-10 effort from the free-throw line as she was also 7-for-9 from the field. She would score 10 straight points for the Rams over a three minute and forty-six second span as Suffolk led at the 13:14 mark, 60-47.
Rivier would edge their way back into the contest as six consecutive free-throws by the Raiders would make it a four-point game at the 6:24 mark.
A lay-up and three free-throws by Ruys would give the Rams some space, before another three-pointer by Vienneau put the Rams back up by double-digits, 74-64 at the 4:59 mark.
Suffolk would finish the evening with four players in double digits in scoring. Ruys led all scorers with 31, while Vienneau added 21 points in the victory. Quadri finished the game with 13 points, while sophomore Shelby Santini (Winchester, Mass.) added 12 points as she played all forty minutes of Wednesday evening's contest.
Sophomore Deanna Purcell (Hudson, N.H.) scored 18 points for the Raiders, while junior Ryan Baker (Whitinsville, Mass.) added 17 points.
Suffolk held a 45-28 edge in rebounds in the contest, with sophomore Tori Brillaud (North Andover, Mass.) collecting a game-high 10 boards. Brillaud also added seven points for the Rams.
Suffolk will be back in action on Saturday afternoon as they travel to Lasell College for a 2:00pm matchup with Lasers in GNAC action.