BOSTON – Jenni-Rose DiCecco and Jordan Hipwell each produced double-doubles, while Marissa Gudauskas contributed a career-high 20 points as the trio paced Suffolk women's basketball to a 74-71 victory over Fitchburg State Thursday night inside Regan Gymnasium.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 74 | Fitchburg State 71
RECORDS: Suffolk (6-3) | Fitchburg State (5-3)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk jumped ahead early 9-5 and built a 17-12 lead as Ed Leyden took a timeout with 2:32 left in the first frame. The teams traded hoops out of the break and the Falcons cut the margin to three, 20-17, as the horn sounded to end the first 10 minutes.
It turned into the Fitchburg show in the second stanza as the visitors came out of the huddle in the second and outscored the hosts, 10-2, to go ahead 27-22.
Mya Blazejowski came off the bench and got Suffolk going again with a bucket from behind-the-arc. The Rams did not rally around the triple, however, and Fitchburg remained in front 35-28, with54 seconds remaining in the first half.
Once again Blazejowski struck from downtown and this time the hoop from three-point land got things going. Hipwell followed as the sophomore converted a Falcons turnover into two points and Gudauskas put away a fast-break layup to cut the deficit to one, 35-34, as the teams headed into the locker room.
Back-to-back buckets from Gudauskas and Hipwell leveled the playing field at 38-all in the first two minutes of the third quarter. Fitchburg did not let go of the lead and regain a 42-38 cushion with just under six minutes remaining in the quarter.
DiCecco took matters into her own hands with a triple followed by a bunny to flip the switch in Suffolk's favor, 43-42. From there the lead was exchanged six times with the final coming as Gudauskas rewrote a new career high with her fourth trey of the night that pushed the Rams ahead 55-53.
DiCecco capped off the quarter with a lay-up on a Falcons turnover to give Suffolk a 57-53 advantage.
Gudauskas kept the Rams run going to open the fourth frame to extend the edge to 59-53. Fitchburg played comeback and did so the equalize the contest at 59-all.
Suffolk did not relinquish the lead and built a 70-63 distance with just over two minutes left in the action.
The Falcons did not let up and fans were kept on the edge of their seats as FSU sandwiched triples around one Rams freebie to pull within two, 73-71, with 17 seconds remaining.
Fitchburg State gambled with the foul game and it paid off as DiCecco missed a pair of free throws at the 10 second mark.
The Rams just had to make one more stop, but in an attempt to what would have been a go-ahead three, DiCecco send Thomson to the line for three chances. Fortunately for Suffolk the visitor caved under pressure and kept the score at 73-71 in the blue-and-gold's favor.
In a last-ditch effort FSU sent Gudauskas to the line and the Suffolk sent went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe for the final 74-71 margin.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- DiCecco led the trio of players in double figures as the floor general heated up the second half to finish with 22 points. Her stat line was filled up with 12 rebounds, six steals, five dimes and one block.
- Gudasuskas 20 points came off an 8-for-12 effort from the floor, which included a 4-for-8 showing from behind-the-arc.
- Hipwell contributed 18 points thanks to a 7-for-13 performance from the field to go with 11 boards.
- Alexis Hackett chipped in 10 caroms, seven assists and three blocks.
- Suffolk finished the night with a 36.8 percent (28-76) percentage from the floor, 30.0 connection rate (9-30) from downtown and a 69.2 percentage from the free throw line.
- Fitchburg State, who received an impressive 22-point, 19-rebound effrtom from Catherine Coppinger, outrebounded the Rams, 45-43.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk won its third straight game against Fitchburg State to move to 6-7 all-time versus the Falcons.
- Gudauskas wrapped up the night with a new personal-best in points (20) and field goals made (8) and matched a career-high in three-point field goals made (4).
- DiCecco kept her double-digit streak perfect with her ninth game in double figures.
- DiCecco put together her fifth game with 20-plus points this season.
- DiCecco recorded a new career-high in rebounds (12) and matched a personal-best in steals (6).
- DiCecco produced her first double-double of the season and third of her career.
- Hipwell had her second double-double of the year and fourth of her career.
- Hipwell tallied a season-high 18 points and matched her season-best rebounds (11).
- Hackett matched a personal-best seven helpers.
POST-GAME PIC
COMING UP
Suffolk concludes 2018 home action Saturday, Dec. 8 when the Rams welcome Framingham State to Regan Gymnasium for a 1 p.m. tilt.