Junior Nathan Firn (Wadesboro, N.C.) scored 29 points to lead the Emerson College Lions (1-5, 1-0 GNAC) to a 90-74 victory over the Suffolk University Rams (3-4, 0-1 GNAC) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Saturday afternoon at the Regan Gymnasium.

The Lions took advantage of 22 Suffolk turnovers that translated into 26 points for the visitors as both teams opened up their conference schedule for the 2011-12 season. The win was the first for the Lions this season in six contests and also the first victory for Head Jim O'Brien at Emerson College.

Suffolk now drops to a 3-4 overall mark on the year.

The Lions finished the contest with four players tallying double digits in points. Firn's 29 led all scorers in the game, while junior Bilali Kalilou-Mack (Windsor, Conn.) finished with 18 and freshman Eli Kell-Abrams Point (Berkeley, Calif.) had 17. Senior Drew Venter (Boston, Mass.) had 11 points as well.

Junior Mickey McEntee (South Kingstown, R.I.) led the Rams with 19 points in the contest, on 4-for-6 shooting from the field, including 9-for-10 from the free throw line. Junior Matt Pepdjonovic (Quincy, Mass.) scored 17 points and led all rebounders in the contest collecting nine boards.

Suffolk held a 33-28 edge on the glass in the contest, but the Lions were able to shoot 53-percent from the field. Emerson went into the break with a 44-35 lead highlight by 16 points in the opening 20 minutes by Firn.

The Lions would come out in the second half with an 11-2 run as Suffolk committed six personal fouls in the opening four minutes which ultimately doomed them. Emerson was able to push their lead to 18 points at the 16:37 mark when Kell-Abrams Point connected on a pair of free throws. Emerson shot 73 percent as a team from the free-throw line in the contest.

Emerson will be back in non-conference action on Monday as they host Bates College at 7:00pm. The Rams will be back in action on Thursday as they travel to Providence to take on the Johnson & Wales University Wildats in GNAC action.