BOSTON – Suffolk women's basketball lifted the lid on its 2023-24 campaign in the win column as the Rams took down Beantown foe Emerson, 67-51, Wednesday night at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 67 | Emerson 51
RECORDS: Suffolk (1-0) | Emerson (0-1)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Emerson poured in the first nine points of the day to force Suffolk to play catch-up. Points in the paint paid off for the Rams as they chipped down the deficit to four, 12-8, at the end of the opening quarter.  

Amanda DeAngelis provided an offensive spark off the bench. After tying the score at 19, the senior pushed the host ahead on her freebie. She did not stop there as she converted her third traditional three-point play of the quarter to give Suffolk a 25-19 advantage with just under four minutes remaining.  

See-saw action ensued and the led flipped back-and-forth with the frame ending on a coast-to-coast lay-up by Colby Guinta that gave the Rams the 30-28 edge at the half. 

Suffolk took control out of half time as the Rams outscored the Lions, 24-8, to grab a near 20-point lead, 54-36, as the game headed to the fourth. 

Emerson found its offensive grove to get the final quarter of regulation going, however, the Rams responded to nearly all of the Lions buckets to maintain a comfortable margin the rest of the way and secure the season-opening triumph.   

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• DeAngelis turned in a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double effort. The Rams reserve added one steal to her stat line in 23 minutes off the bench. 
• Lauren Romito joined DeAngelis' in double figures as the graduate student converted a double-double of her own with 10 points and 10 caroms. Her stat line featured three swats and a pair of dimes as well. 
• Guinta was on the verge of double digits in scoring with nine behind a 4-for-7 showing from the field. The sophomore also supplied four boards and one handout. 
• Suffolk shot 42.2 percent (27-64) from the floor, 35.7 percent (5-14) from 3-point range and did not miss on its eight chances at the charity stripe. 
• The Rams won the rebound battle, 54-29. 
• Emerson capitalized on Suffolk's 16 turnovers, converting them into 15 points.

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk lifted the lid on its schedule on its home hardwood, Smith Court, for the sixth straight season debut and seventh time overall. 
• Suffolk is 22-19 all-time in season openers and 18-12 under head coach Ed Leyden in game one of the year. 
• The blue-and-gold is now 4-3 when flipping the page on the calendar at the friendly confines of the Ridgeway Building. 
• The Rams improved to 29-6 all-time against Emerson. 
• Suffolk is now 16-3 when hosting the Lions. 
• The blue-and-gold moved to 21-5 versus Emerson under Leyden's guidance.
• DeAngelis put together her 17th collegiate double-double. 
• Romito compiled a double-double in her Rams debut. 
• Jordan Moreau (7 pts, 5 rebounds), Akiyah Brown (2 rebounds), Madison Michienzie (1 block), Claire Berkowitz (4 pts, 2 rebounds, 1 assist), Ava Thurman (1 assist), Delaney More (3 rebounds, two assists and Olivia Verdile (3 pts, 1 rebound) all made their collegiate debuts.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk has 10 days off before it heads out on its first road game of the season, a Saturday, Nov. 18 showdown at Eastern Nazarene at 3 p.m.