DUDLEY, Mass. – Suffolk women's basketball took an early edge that helped hold off a Nichols comeback late and the Rams picked up a 74-69 Conference of New England win Saturday afternoon.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 74 | Nichols 69
RECORDS: Suffolk (7-6, 2-4 CNE) | Nichols (9-4, 2-4 CNE)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Things were locked at 19-all after the first quarter. Nichols ran out to get the second underway with six unanswered points, which forced Ed Leyden to use two quick timeouts. 

Out of the second huddle, Colby Guinta ended Suffolk's scoring draught with a triple that ignited an 11-0 run that gave the blue-and-gold a 30-25 cushion that forced the Bison into a break of their own. 

After back-and-forth action, the Rams scored the final four points of the second stanza to take a seven-point, 37-30 lead into halftime. 

Suffolk built a double figure advantage at the midway point of the third quarter, 51-40. That lead grew to as many as 13, 55-42, with 1:23 left in the third quarter. 

Over the final minute Nichols outscored Suffolk, 7-2, to trim the gap down to 10, 57-47, as the game transitioned to the final frame.  

The Rams managed to maintain that double digit distance for the first four minutes of the fourth quarter. The Bison battled back and got the gap down to two, 68-66, with just over two minutes remaining in regulation. 

The blue-and-gold managed to hold off Nichols down the stretch and sealed the 74-69 win at the free throw line.  

STATISTICALY SPEAKING

• Jordan Moreau led Suffolk's scoring with 15 points to go along with six rebounds=, four assists, one block and one steal. 
• Guinta finished with 13 points, eight caroms, two helpers and one takeaway. 
• Maddie Stewart supplied 12 points behind a 5-for-9 showing from the floor. She added six handouts, five rebounds, three steals and one block. 
• Aisling Crowley contributed nine points on a 4-for-8 effort from the floor to go along with nine rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal. 
• Suffolk shot 46.0 percent (29-63), from the floor, just 18.2 percent (4-22) from 3-point land and 60.0 percent (12-20) from the line. 
• The Rams outrebounded the Bison, 51-31. 
• More than half of the blue-and-gold's points came in the paint with 44.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk won its seventh straight game in a row against the Bison. 
• The Rams are now 16-12 all-time against Nichols. 
• The Rams are now 11-1 against the Bison under Leyden's guidance. 
• On the road, Suffolk is now 7-8 versus Nichols.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk is set to host Hartford Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 5:30 p.m.