Women’s Basketball Looks to Keep Streak Alive Thursday vs. Rivier

BOSTON – On its best second semester start since the 2007-08 season, the Suffolk women's basketball team looks to push its win streak to seven Thursday night (Jan. 19) as the Rams welcome Rivier to Regan Gymnasium. Game time is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.     

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LAST TIME OUT
The Suffolk women's basketball team overcame a 15-point deficit and gained momentum at just the right time to secure a 68-63 victory over Norwich at Andrews Hall Thursday night for the Rams' sixth straight triumph.                  

MORE READING: Second Stanza Sends Women's Basketball to Sixth Straight at Norwich

RUNDOWN ON THE RAMS
With its sixth straight win Monday night, the Rams matched their best start to second semester since running off six victories to open second semester in the 2007-08 season. Now, 11-5 on the season and 6-1 against conference competition, Suffolk sits in a tie with Emmanuel for first place in the GNAC South standings. 

The Rams post the third-best offense in the GNAC with 67.7 ppg with a pair of upperclassmen contributing double figures. Georgia Bourikas paces the pack as the senior guard registers 11.2 ppg, while Kelsey Schiebel sits second on the squad with 10.5 ppg. Freshman Alexis Hackett is also providing consistently to the offense with 9.2 ppg. 

Defensively, the Rams pull down the league's second-best in rebounds in 45.1 per game, including 31.2 boards on the defensive end, which tops the conference. Suffolk's outrebounding its opponents by a 7.3 margin, which also sits second amongst its league counterparts. Katelyn Rourke is the Rams' main ingredient on the glass grabbing 7.3 rpg. Caitlyn Caramello adds 6.9 rpg to the effort with Alexandra Clarke and Hackett adding 5.9 rpg and 5.8 rpg, respectively.

RAIDERS RUNDOWN
Unlike the Rams, Rivier is winless in the New Year and is coming to Boston after a 102-78 setback to Emmanuel Monday, which put the Raiders at 3-10 on the season and 1-5 in conference competition. 

Rivier's offense of 64.5 ppg is tied for fifth in the league thanks to a trio of Raiders, who are in the conference's top-10 for scoring. Caitlyn Perry's team-best 15.1 ppg is seventh in the conference with Katylee Kacavas's 14.5 ppg landing right behind Perry on the squad and in the league standings. Savanna Butterfield rounds out the Raiders in double figures with the third highest scoring output on the team and tenth best in the conference at 13.9 ppg. 

Butterfield is crucial to Rivier's 37.0 rpg with the senior forward providing 9.9 rpg, which is good for third in the league. Rebecca DeBaldo and Kacavas add to the effort with 6.0 rpg and 5.7 rpg, respectively. 

THE SERIES
Suffolk holds down a 21-5 lead in the all-time series versus Rivier with the Rams winning the last two meetings with the Raiders.      

EYES ON THE GAME
  

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Since November 28 the GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week has donned Suffolk blue-and-gold with Alexis Hackett earning five honors, including four straight, and Katelyn Rourke picking up the nod Dec. 5.

BEST ROOK IN NEW ENGLAND
After collecting her fifth GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week nod this season, Suffolk women's basketball's Alexis Hackett earned another recognition as the NEWBA named her Rookie of the Week, the association announced Monday afternoon.   

MORE READING: NEWBA Recognizes Hackett as Rookie of the Week, Again

The pre-game shows are set to launch 15 minutes prior to tip-off of all contests and fans can follow along at mixlr.com/suffolkfreeradio/.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk heads back out on the road over the weekend when it visits Mount Ida at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21.