BOSTON – Behind double-digit point performances by three different Rams, the Suffolk women's basketball team held on for a 68-54 triumph over Framingham State to capture the Emerson Tip-Off Championship Sunday afternoon at Brown-Plofker Gymnasium.
Senior Alessandra Quadri, an all-tournament team selection, led the offensive charge to move Suffolk to 2-0 on the year, making it the first season since 2013-14 that the Rams opened the year 2-0. Quadri notched 18 points on a 6-of-15 performance from the field and 4-of-6 from the line. Classmate and tournament MVP Caitlyn Caramello pitched in 12 points and eight boards with Georgia Bourikas contributing 10 points, shooting 2-of-4 from deep. Bourikas also earned a spot on the all-tournament team in her returning weekend debut after a season sidelined due to injury. Junior Alexandra Clarke added eight rebounds to the Rams' effort.
Framingham, who moves to 1-1 on the season, received a game-high 20 points from Raegan Mulherin.
Suffolk shot 35 percent for the game (35.0), 31.6 from three-point range (6-19) and 71.4 (20-28) at the line compared to Framingham's 28.4 percentage from the field (19-67). The Boston Rams also out rebounded FSU, 37-27, and turned second chances into eight points.
To open the game, both ends were cold and with 3:09 off the clock coach Ed Leyden called for a timeout with the game scoreless. Out of break, Suffolk took advantage of trips to the charity stripe, connecting on 4-of-6 to take an early 4-0 edge.
Half-way through the first quarter neither team still connected from the field, before Bourikas started to lit it up from deep. The junior sunk back-to-back triples and Suffolk went ahead, 10-2. Marissa Gudauskas got in on the shooting show with Bourikas and made two of her own to make it a 16-5 game in favor of the Boston Rams. Framingham made a hoop and free throw as the score moved to 16-9 at the end of the first frame.
Suffolk made it a double-digit advantage early in the second, 20-9, thanks to buckets from Quadri and Chelsea Campellone. The edge would not hold, however, as Framingham slowly began chipping away, pulling within six with 5:45 to play before half-time.
Alexandra Nagri and Caramello quickly put the Boston Rams back out in front by 10, but Framingham rallied out of its own timeout and used a Lauren Donahue three to make it a seven-point game at 3:20. FSU would not get any closer as Suffolk scored 10 of the final 15 points, including six from Quadri, to close out the half, 35-22.
After a slow start, Suffolk went 36.7 percent (11-30) from the field and an impressive 44.4 percent (4-9) from beyond-the-arc over the first 20 minutes. The Boston Rams used a kick-start from its bench as their reserves scored 16 led by eight points from Bourikas, who shot 3-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-3 from deep. Quadri led all scorers in the first-half with nine points.
Through the first five minutes of the third, the Boston Rams built a 20-point lead, 51-31. From there, Suffolk went ice cold and Framingham crept back into the game and pulled within four, 51-47, at the buzzer of the third quarter.
Kelsey Schiebel ended Suffolk's scoring draught, which extended 5:31, to open the final frame with her first points of the afternoon and the SU Rams did not let up, holding on for a 68-54 triumph.
Suffolk returns to action Thursday night as it heads to Regis for a 7 p.m. contest.
EMERSON TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT MVP
Caitlyn Caramello (Suffolk)
EMERSON TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Chalre Boyle (Emerson)
Raegan Mulherin (Framingham)
Quinn O'Connell (Framingham)
Alessandra Quadri (Suffolk)
Georgia Bourikas (Suffolk)