CCC RELEASE | INTERACTIVE BRACKET | PRINTABLE BRACKET
BIDDEFORD, Maine – Suffolk men's basketball turns its attention to the postseason as the Rams sealed up the fifth spot in the 2023 Commonwealth Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament.
Jeff Juron's Rams put together a 10-7 CCC record to finish in a tie for fourth with Wentworth. The Leopards took the tiebreaker. The teams split their head-to-head matchups, which offered no resolution, so the second step, a comparison of the teams' results against other conference opponents in rank order came into the picture. Thanks to its 71-66 win over second seed Western New England in January, WIT earned hosting responsibilities of Tuesday's quarterfinal.
The Suffolk, Wentworth series dates back to 1989. The blue-and-gold boasts an 11-8 overall record against WIT. Under Juron's guidance, Suffolk spots a 1-3 record versus Wentworth. The rivals will square off against one another in the postseason for the first time.
After the quarterfinals, the tournament will continue onto the semis on Thursday, Feb. 23. The winner of the Suffolk, Wentworth showdown will meet the victor of regular-season champion, top-seed Nichols versus Gordon. The other side of the bracket features second-seed WNE and seventh seed Salve Regina, as well as third seed Endicott and No. 6 Roger Williams.
The winners of the semifinals will clash in the title tilt Saturday, Feb. 25 with the 2023 CCC Champion earning the league's automatic ticket to the 2023 NCAA Division III Tournament.
Suffolk's second trip to the CCC postseason marks the Rams' 18th overall and 10th straight conference tournament appearance.
Over its 17 conference tournament appearances, Suffolk has advanced to the semifinals five times, with the last coming a year ago. The Rams have gone onto the championship contest once when it hoisted the GNAC trophy in 2002.
Suffolk's quest for the CCC crown tips off Tuesday, Feb. 21 across town at Tansey Gymnasium at Wentworth at 7:00 p.m.
2023 CCC MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Tuesday, Feb. 21 – Quarterfinals
#8 Gordon at #1 Nichols – 7:00 p.m. – Live Stats | Live Video
#7 Salve Regina at #2 Western New England – 7:00 p.m. – Live Stats | Live Video
#6 Roger Williams at #3 Endicott – 7:00 p.m. – Live Stats | Live Video
#5 Suffolk at #4 Wentworth – 7:00 p.m. – Live Stats | Live Video
Thursday, Feb. 23 – Semifinals
#4/5 Winner vs. #1/8 Winner
#3/6 Winner vs. #2/7 Winner
Saturday, Feb. 25 – Championship
Semifinal winners at highest remaining seed