WESTON, Mass. – The Suffolk women's basketball team suffered its first setback of the season Thursday night with a 51-41 loss to Regis at Higgins Court.
For the second-time this season and 16th time in her career Kelsey Schiebel scored in double digits as the junior netted a 14 points. The 5-foot-2 floor general was a threat from deep, shooting 4-of-8 from long range. Schiebel added seven rebounds and four assists. Chelsea Campellone led the defensive charge, grabbing nine rebounds, as Alexandra Nagri chipped in four steals, four points, three assists and two rebounds.
Suffolk (2-1) totaled eight steals compared to Regis' (2-1) five, but the Pride held a slight rebounding advantage over the Rams, 47-41, and it showed in its second-chance points, 11-6. After a sluggish 17.6 (6-34) percentage from the field in the first half, the Rams connected on 10-of-27 attempts in the second to finish the night with a 26.2 (16-61) connection rate. Regis, meanwhile, shot 32.8 percent and had 20 points in the paint to help put it over the edge. Brittany Stone (14 pts., 12 rbs.) and Amanda Hawkesworth (11 pts., 13 rbs.) led the Pride with double-double efforts
It was a slow start for the Rams as they were held scoreless for the first 2:51 of the contest and did not hit their first field goal until 2:13. Thanks to their slow start, Suffolk trails Regis, 14-4, after the opening frame.
Slowly, but surely, the Rams began chipping away at the Pride's lead and a Georgia Bourikas triple made it a four-point game at the midway point of the second stanza, 17-13. Regis quickly stretched the edge back to eight, but Suffolk scored four the the final five points to head into the half down by five, 22-17.
Out of the break Suffolk wasted no time to get going on offense as a trey from Schiebel and a jump shot by Campellone put the Rams' within two. Schiebel leveled the playing field with a good jumper at 7:01, before a three by the guard gave Suffolk its first lead of the night, 27-24.
The three ball was matched by the Pride's Mikayla Murphy, but Schiebel responded with her third ball from deep of the quarter to regain the three-point advantage for the visitors. Suffolk did not stay on top for long, however, as Regis regained the advantage thanks to a free throw from Hawkesworth and a Brittany Stone layup. Schiebel's hot hand answered for Suffolk as she connected on her fourth three pointer to knot up the score at 33-33. Stone's hand heated up for Regis in the final three minutes of the quarter to give the Pride a 39-35 cushion.
Reigning GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week Marissa Gudauskas put in a jumper at 9:52 of the final frame to bring the Rams within two, but Suffolk would not get any closer for the remainder of the contest as Regis held on for the 51-41 victory.
Suffolk opens its home slate Saturday afternoon as it entertains Colby Sawyer at Regan Gymnasium at 1 p.m.