SUFFOLK'S STRONG SHOOTING SINKS SAINTS

BOSTON, Mass. – Matt Duquette and Jake Meister combined for 51 of Suffolk's 79 points as the Rams fended off Emmanuel's comeback attempt for a 79-72 victory Saturday afternoon in Regan Gymnasium.

Suffolk (3-5, 1-2 GNAC) led by as many as 14 points after the break and did not let Emmanuel (1-5, 1-2 GNAC) come closer than four to seal its first GNAC victory of the season.

Duquette finished with a game-high 28 points and went 12-of-19 from the floor. Meister notched 23 points while going 4-of-9 from behind the arc and Caleb Unni added 12 points on 3-of-4 shooting. Adam Chick pulled down a team-high seven boards and chipped in three points.

Suffolk shot 54.2 percent (26-48) for the game, and was 10-of-22 from three and 17-of-26 at the line. Emmanuel, who shot 46.0 percent (29-63) from the floor, was held to a 17.6 connection rate (3-17) from long range and was led by senior Kyle Davis' (Groveland, Mass.) 26 points.

The Rams opened the game on a 9-0 run, with Meister and Unni each getting into the scoring mix. Suffolk lead 15-8 after Meister three and went ahead 26-16 on a Matt McLean trifecta with 8:23 to play in the half.

An 8-2 Emmanuel run brought the Saints within three, 28-25. The stretch was broken up as Duquette scored his 10 first-half points over the final five minutes to keep Suffolk out in front, 38-31, as the teams headed to the locker room.

Meister led all scorers with 11 points with Duquette and McLean adding 10 points and nine points, respectively. Emmanuel dominated Suffolk on the glass, 18-13, and put in 18 of its 31 points in the paint over the first 20 minutes.

After a Michael Hagopian layup to open the second stanza, Emmanuel scored three straight hoops, but a Unni trey followed by two hoops from Duquette made it a 47-35 game.

For every Saints' comeback attempt the Rams had an answered and maintain the double digit lead, 58-48 with 6:09 to play. Down the stretch Suffolk continued to fire on all cylinders, but the Saints cut the deficit to single digits, 71-62, with 1:34 to play on a three-point play from Davis.

Over the final minute Emmanuel took its chances fouling the blue-and-gold. Meister and Duquette each split a trip to move the score to 75-62, before sophomore Alex Minetti (Wakefield, R.I.) sandwiched two triples around a highlight reel dunk from Duquette.

With 0:23 on the clock Meister put in a pair at the stripe and Suffolk held a 77-68 lead. After a Davis layup, senior John Clay (Westport, Mass.) took regained possession for the Saints on a steal and assisted on sophomore Colin Cordero's (Bolton, Conn.) hoop that cut the Rams' edge to 77-72. Unni added a set at the line with second remaining, giving Suffolk the 79-72 win. 

The Saints return home on Tuesday, December 8, as they look to stop their two-game losing skid against MIT at 7:30 p.m. The game is part of a Women's and Men's Basketball doubleheader. The WBB game will start at 5:30, followed by MBB at 7:30. Emmanuel will honor all of its fall GNAC All-Conference athletes at halftime of the women's game and fans are encouraged to wear ugly holiday sweaters to both games for a chance to win prizes.