The Suffolk University Men's Basketball team (3-4 overall) team fell in overtime to the UMass Boston Beacons (4-1 overall), 81-78 at the Clark Athletic Center on Tuesday evening. Sophomores Matt Pepdjonovic (Quincy, Mass.) and Colin Halpin (Melrose, Mass.) had two more monster games for the Rams, who fell short for their third loss in a row.
Pepdjonovic finished the game with 19 rebounds and 16 points for another double-double on the season, and Halpin recorded 22 points as the 6'5 forward has now scored at least 20 points in four of the Rams seven contests to start the 2010-11 season.
Senior Mike Fleming (Exeter, N.H.) had a season-high 18 points for the Rams shooting 4-for-7 also chipping in with seven assists.
The Beacons held an 11 point lead with six minutes remaining at 58-47 but the Rams managed to cut the deficit with a 8-0 run over three minutes as Pepdjonovic and Halpin controlled the paint to get the Rams back in the game.
Junior Mike Gibbons (Ringwood, N.J.) got the Rams within a point with 2:16 left in regulation connecting on a three-pointer. Suffolk would take the lead at 63-62 with a minute remaining in the contest as Fleming and Halpin connected on consecutive layups for the Rams.
Junior Mo Johnson (Portland, Ore) would put the Beacons back up by two points with thirty seconds to play as he connected on a trey of his own, but Halpin would once again control the paint down low hitting a layup with eight seconds remaining after taking a feed from Fleming to send the game into the extra period.
Fleming would put the Rams up 72-71 with a layup of his own with two minutes remaining in the overtime period, but junior Isaac Jenkins (Pordenone, Italy) would hit a layup and give the Beacons the lead for good as the game closed out.
Freshman Jordan Jones (North Smithfield, R.I.) would connect on a three-pointer with ten seconds remaining to put the Rams back within a possession, but Jenkins would go to the free throw line, sinking both of his shots to seal the Rams fate.
Jenkins lead all scorers with 24 points in the contests.
The Rams will be back in action on Saturday afternoon as they host Johnson & Wales University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference matchup at the Regan Gymnasium at 3:00pm.