WORCESTER, Mass. – Suffolk women's basketball ran its win streak to four as the Rams rallied to defeat Clark, 62-49, Tuesday night at the Kneller Athletic Center.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 62 | Clark 49
RECORDS: Suffolk (8-3) | Clark (3-7)
HOW IT HAPPENED
From a locked 6-all game, Clark scored seven straight points to go up 13-6. Jenni-Rose DiCecco broke up the stretch with a good freebie, but the Cougars responded with a bucket to take a 15-7 lead over the Rams after the first frame.
The blue-and-gold climbed out of the hole and scored eight of the first 10 points to pull within two, 17-15. Clark hung onto the advantage and went ahead by as many as seven, 26-19, with 3:22 to play before half time.
Suffolk heated up and used a 7-0 spurt of its own to level the playing field for the second time on the evening at 26-26 with two minutes to go before the break.
Clark talked things over in a timeout and the huddle played in its favor as the hosts put away five of the final seven points of the half to send the Rams into the locker room trailing 31-28.
Jordan Hipwell put away the first hoop of the third quarter, but the Cougars took over from there, putting an eight-point distance between the foes once again, 38-30. Alexis Hackett started a comeback that was anchored by Hipwell. Hackett's hoop at the 5:47 mark was the only bucket for 2:04 until Hipwell heated up and registered seven consecutive points of her own to regain the lead for Suffolk, 39-38.
The teams traded hoops and once again Hipwell put the blue-and-gold in front with a triple that was followed by a pull-up jumper in the lane by the sophomore that gave the Rams a 44-40 edge. Clark tallied the final points of the period to cut the margin back to two, 44-42, at the end of the third.
The fourth quarter was all Suffolk as Rachel LaSaracina started things out for the Rams with two points within the first 30seconds. The visitors built an 11-point cushion, 56-45, on the sophomore's second hoop 4: minutes later.
Suffolk never looked back as it put on cruise control to coast to the 62-49 final.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Hipwell's day ended with 26 points on a 12-for-19 effort from the field and a 2-for-2 showing on the long ball. She set-up four shots and grabbed four rebounds.
- Hackett put together a double-double of 18 boards and 12 points on a 6-for-9 showing from the field. She also recorded a pair of assists and blocks, respectively.
- DiCecco chipped in nine points, five dimes and three caroms, while Marissa Gudauskas finished with seven points and six rebounds.
- Suffolk shot 42.6 percent (29-68) from the floor as a team, struggling from both three-point range (3-14) and the line (1-3).
- The Cougars outrebounded the Rams, 50-46.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk and Clark renewed a fairly new rivalry, meeting for the third time overall and first since 2016-17.
- Hipwell hit a personal-best in points (26).
- Hackett contributed her fifth double-double of the season and 20th of her career.
- Gudauskas matched a career-high six boards.
POST-GAME PIC
COMING UP
Suffolk goes on a three-week hiatus before venturing to Naples, Florida for the Naples Shootout Dec. 29-30. The Rams are set to open the tournament Friday, Dec. 29 at versus Tufts at 11 a.m.