BOSTON – Three different Rams recorded double figures in a well-balanced offense to lead the Suffolk women's' basketball team to a 61-45 victory over Simmons Tuesday night inside Regan Gymnasium.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 61, Simmons 45
RECORDS: Suffolk (13-3, 6-1 GNAC) | Simmons (1-12, 1-7 GNAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The score locked four times before Alexandra Nagri broke open the 9-9 playing field with a good free throw. The Rams built on their lead from there and went up 18-12 after the first quarter.
Suffolk was held off the scoreboard for the first three minutes, but the Sharks did not take advantage of the scoring lull, only converting one hoop themselves. Alexis Hackett put away a basket from behind-the-arc way to get the Rams started. From there, Suffolk slowly stretched its lead into double digits, 32-21, with 1:24 to play in the half, thanks to a trey from Jenni-Rose DiCecco.
Over the final minute, the Rams outscored the Sharks, 4-1, to head into half up 36-22.
Neither team found its grove truly found its groove in the third frame. Suffolk took advantage of the transition late in the quarter, however, to stretch its cushion to 20, 46-26. Off the bench, Molly Phillips got Simmons going with a quick five points and a late layup by Kirra Courchesen to trim the margin to 46-33 after three full quarters.
Simmons continued to claw back into the contest, pulling within 12 with 7:01 on the clock, before Marissa Gudauskas heated up from downtown. The Rams rallied behind a pair of triples from the junior put a 17-point distance between them and the Sharks once again.
Gudauskas third three of the quarter made it a 59-40 contest with 3:38 remaining.
Suffolk managed the distance from there to hold on to the victory, 61-45.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Nagri led the way with 12 points, while Gudauskas provided 11 points, all of which came in the fourth quarter.
- Jordan Hipwell dropped 10 points to complete the trifecta of Rams in double figures.
- Bourikas led the way on the glass with 10 rebounds to go along with nine points on a 3-for-6 effort from the floor.
- Suffolk held the edge on the glass, outrebounding the Sharks, 41-38, and took advantage of the fastbreak, scoring eight points in transition.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk rang off its ninth consecutive win over Simmons to take a 25-3 all-time series lead.
- Bourikas notched her fourth game of the season with double digit rebounds.
- Nagri and Gudauskas each produced double digits points for the third time this season.
- Hipwell put together her sixth double digit scoring out of the year.
- Ed Leyden used the returned to the starting five of DiCecco, Nagri, Bourikas, Hackett and Hipwell. That combination improved to 13-1.
POST-GAME PIC
COMING UP
Suffolk stops by Johnson & Wales Thursday, Jan. 25 for a 7 p.m. battle.