BOSTON – Suffolk women's basketball broke open a one-point game behind a 19-3 third quarter run and the fourth-seeded Rams never looked back to take down fifth seed Endicott, 84-64, in the CCC First Round Tuesday night at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 84 | Endicott 64
RECORDS: Suffolk (20-6) | Endicott (14-11)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The lead flipped flopped five times in the first five minutes with an 9-7 Endicott edge. Jordan Moreau struck from downtown in transition to ignite an 8-0 Rams run that gave the host a 15-9 advantage with just under three minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
The Gulls leveled the playing field at 17-all after an 8-2 stretch. Out of a 19-19 game, Allison Bono's fastbreak layup sparked a 7-0 quarter-ending blue-and-gold rally that was capped off by a triple from Aisling Crowley that brought the crowd at Smith Court to its feet and sent Suffolk into the second quarter ahead 26-19.
Suffolk's offense struggled in the second with 4:26 without a field goal. Colby Guinta ended the draught and helped the host regain a multi-possession cushion, 33-27, with 3:11 remaining in the second quarter.
The scoring lull by the blue-and-gold allowed the Gulls to get the gap back to one, 33-32, at halftime.
Endicott's momentum that wrapped the second quarter carried into the third and helped the visitors grab a 46-43 advantage at the 4:48 mark.
Bono took over for Suffolk. The guard swished a triple and turned a steal into a layup to restore the upper hand for Suffolk. Those back-to-back buckets catapulted the Rams to a 62-49 cushion at the end of the third as the freshman's two consecutive hoops helped the host outscore the Gulls 19-3.
This time Suffolk kept the energy up and kept Endicott at a double figure distance the rest of the way to coast its way to its first-ever CCC postseason victory.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Romito registered a 23-point, 15-rebound double-double with three blocks and two assists. The grad student shot 11-for-13 from the field and did not miss her one shot at the line.
- DeAngelis poured in 20 points to go along with nine caroms five helpers and three steals.
- Bono produced 12 points on a 5-for-8 showing from the floor that included a 2-for-3 effort from behind-the-arc. The freshman added five assists, four boards and three steals.
- Moreau chipped in nine points on a 4-for-7 effort from the floor with two dimes, three rebounds, two assists and one steal.
- Suffolk shot 50.0 percent (35-70) on the night and 31.3 percent (5-16) from 3-point land.
- The Rams outrebounded the Gulls, 49-34.
- Both teams scored nine points off turnovers.
- Suffolk scored 17 points in transition, while Endicott did not have any points on the fastbreak.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk hosted its second-ever CCC postseason game, first since the 2022 CCC Quarterfinals.
- The Rams met Endicott in the postseason for the first time.
- The Rams played in the 4 v 5 CCC game for the second time, first since 2022.
- Suffolk won its first CCC postseason game in program history.
- The Rams advance to the CCC semifinals for the first time.
- The Rams improved to 1-2 in CCC postseason play all time.
- Suffolk is now 1-1 in CCC action as the home team all-time.
- Suffolk moves on from the first round of the conference tournament for the first time since 2019-20 and 13th time overall.
- As the fourth seed, Suffolk advances to a league's semifinals for the sixth time, first since 2019-20.
- Suffolk scored a program CCC postseason record 84 points.
- Individually, Romito sits atop individual CCC postseason lists in points (25), rebounds (15) and field goals made (11).
- Romito is the second-ever Ram to have a double-double in the CCC postseason, first since Jenni-Rose DiCecco (13 points, 10 assists) in the 2022 Quarterfinals versus Gordon.
- The Rams won their third straight game against Endicott to level the all-time series at 17-17.
- In Boston, Suffolk took a 9-8 edge over Endicott.
- Suffolk hit the 20-win mark for the first time since 2017-18.
- It is the fourth 20-win season for the Rams, all of which have come under Ed Leyden's leadership.
- Romito matched a personal-best in field goals made (11).
- Romito notched her seventh double-double of the year.
- Bono tied a personal-best in points and set a career-high in field goals made (5), 3-point field goals made (2) and assists (5).
WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk takes its talents to Springfield, Massachusetts Thursday, Feb. 22 for the CCC Semifinals at top seed Western New England.
