SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – In a back-and-forth affair, a second half surge by the Golden Bears was the difference maker to spoil Suffolk men's basketball's final road game of the 2022-23 regular-season as Western New England took down the Rams, 79-70, Wednesday night at Alumni Healthful Living Center.   

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 70 | Western New England 79
RECORDS: Suffolk (15-9, 10-7 CCC) | Western New England (19-5, 14-3 CCC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk went into the locker room up a pair, 35-33, after a first half that saw eight lead exchanges and three tied scores.  

Over the first four minutes in the second stanza, the playing field leveled four times, before the Golden Bears grabbed the advantage, 44-42, at the 15:40 mark on Tim Restall's made lay-up. 

That gap grew to nine, 56-47, at the midway point of the second stanza. Suffolk managed to get the margin down to two possessions, 65-59, with 4:58 remaining in regulation. 

The Golden Bears got momentum out of their own timeout and poured in four straight points to make it a double-digit distance, 69-59, with 3:34 to play. 

The teams went hoop-for-hoop as time winded down. Aidan Sullivan provided a spark for Suffolk with just over a minute left when the senior floor general converted a four-point play to pull the Rams back within seven, 74-67. 

The Rams missed opportunities down the stretch however and had to gamble with the foul game and WNE went on to win the game at the line. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Sullivan supplied 18 points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal. 
• Keenan Robertson had 17 points, six boards, three helpers and one takeaway. 
• William Rowe recorded 14 points on a perfect 7-for-7 showing from the floor to go with one rebound and one block. 
• Conor Creane chipped in 10 points, two rebounds and one steal. 
• The Golden Bears, who were led by a game-high 24 from Restall, outrebounded the Rams, 34-29. 
• Suffolk poured in 34 points in the paint, while WNE put in 42 points from the key. 
• The Golden Bears reserves contributed 19 points, while the Rams bench contributed just six.  

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk returns to the friendly confines of Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court Saturday, Feb. 18 for its regular-season finale, a 3 p.m. showdown with the University of New England.