WATERVILLE, Maine – An early lead paid off for Suffolk women's basketball as it held off Saint Joseph's (Maine)'s fourth comeback en route to a 54-47 triumph to wrap up play at the Terriers Tip-Off Tournament Sunday afternoon at Larry Maheny Gymnasium.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 54 | Saint Joseph's (Maine) 47
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-0) | Saint Joseph's (Maine) (1-1)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk faced a five-point hole five minutes into the game, 10-5. A 7-2 Rams run tied things at 12-all with 2:03 remaining in the opening quarter. Colby Guinta's fourth bucket of the day sent the blue-and-gold in front, 14-12, but the edge was short lived as the Monks closed the quarter with five unanswered points and Suffolk found itself down 17-14. Guinta was responsible for nine points of the Rams' offensive output in the first 10 minutes. 

The Rams offense hit a lull for the first 5:28 of the second stanza, which allowed the Monks to stretch the margin back to five, 19-5. Jordan Moreau sunk a lay-up to get the blue-and-gold's scoring going and they went on to outscore SJC 16-4 to take a 10-point cushion, 33-23, into the locker room. The rally featured seven points apiece from Allison Bono and Moreau.  

Saint Joseph's may have put away in the first hoop of the third quarter, but Suffolk controlled things from there to build a 29-24 advantage. That 15-point margin remained when Bono knocked down her second trey of the day, but four quick points by the Monks closed out the frame to slice the gap down to 11, 44-33. 

The Monks assembled a 4-1 run in the first two minutes of the fourth frame to trim the distance down to single digits 45-37 with just under seven minutes left on the clock.  

Out of the huddle, SJC continued to mount a comeback and cut Suffolk's lead down to three, 50-47, with 45 seconds to go. 

Time management and finesse at the free throw line helped the Rams clinch the victory as Guinta went 4-for-4 at the line over the final 11 seconds to push the blue-and-gold to the 54-47 victory. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Guinta finished with a game-high 19 points behind a 6-for-15 showing from the floor and perfect 6-for-6 effort at the free throw line. The junior grabbed 13 boards, including 11 on the defensive end, to compile a double-double effort that featured three assists. 
• Amanda DeAngelis added 10 points, six caroms, four takeaways, one helper and one block. 
• Bono produced 13 points on a 5-for-9 performance from the field that included a 2-for-4 effort from downtown to go along with four boards and three steals. 
• Moreau was on the verge of double figures in scoring with nine points. She added three rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal. 
• Aisling Crowley chipped 10 rebounds, three points, three swats and one dime in a reserve effort. 
• Suffolk shot just 32.7 percent (18-55) from the floor, 23.6 percent (4-17) from 3-point land and 73.7 percent (14-19) from the foul line. 
• Both teams grabbed 42 rebounds. 
• The Rams returned the Monks 22 turnovers into 17 points. 
• The blue-and-gold converted their seven offensive rebounds into seven points. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk started the season 2-0 for the second straight season. 
• Suffolk renewed a rivalry with Saint Joseph's (Maine).
• The Rams defeated the Monks for the second straight meeting. The last time Suffolk coupled a pair of wins together against Saint Joseph's (Maine) was in 2013.
• Suffolk is now 9-14 all-time against SJC. 
• On neutral hardwood, the Rams are now 1-1 versus the Monks. 
• Guinta produced her first double-double of the season and first of her collegiate career. 
• Guinta had a career-high 13 rebounds. 
• Bono rewrote her personal-best in points (13) and matched a career high in field goals made (5) and 3-point field goals made (2). 
• Crowley contributed a career-high 10 rebounds.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk heads to Salem State Tuesday, Nov. 12 for a 7:00 p.m. non-conference clash.