Suffolk Falls on the Road to Emmanuel

Box Score

BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College Men’s Basketball Team cruised to an 82-59 win over Suffolk University in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action played in the Jean Yawkey Center on Wednesday night. The Saints shot 51.6% (33-64) from the floor as a team and out-rebounded the Rams by a 42-30 margin en route to the victory. Emmanuel improved to 7-8 overall and 4-4 in the GNAC, while Suffolk dropped to 1-13 on the year and 0-7 in the league.

Emmanuel surged out to a 10-0 lead to start the game and extended the margin to as many as 19 points with four minutes to play in the first half. The key to the first half was easy transition buckets by the Saints. Fourteen of Emmanuel’s thirty-six first-half points were scored off fastbreak baskets. The Saints moved the ball well on offense and recorded assists on 13 of their 16 first-half field goals. Freshman guard Isaiah Duke (Albany, N.Y.) led the Saints with 10 points on 4 for 5 shooting in the opening stanza. Emmanuel hit 16 of 33 field goal attempts in the first half, shooting 48.5% from the floor, and committed just 5 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. Suffolk mounted a late first-half run, rattling off four quick hoops to go on an 8-0 run to end the half trailing by eleven, 36-25.

The Saints came out of the locker room strong and stretched their lead to 20 points (45-25), after a 9-0 run to start the half. Emmanuel led by as many as 34 points with 5:24 remaining. The Rams, who played without leading scorers, Brian Small (Stoughton, Mass.) and Allan Ray (Lynn, Mass.), shot 35.6% (21-59) from the field and 75% (9-12) from the line for the game. Suffolk got strong performance from sophomore forward Mario Massimino (East Haven, Conn.), who scored 14 of his team-high 16 points in the second half.

Emmanuel was led by Duke’s game-high 17 points, which he scored in just 19 minutes played. Senior forward Mack Spellman (Clinton, N.Y.) added 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Senior guard Rob Williams-Hinton (Oak Park, Mich.) and freshman forward Eric Spanbauer (Niagra Falls, N.Y.) chipped in with 9 points apiece in the win.
Three Suffolk players joined Massimino in double figures. Sophomore guard Mike Flemming (Exeter, N.H.) dropped 14 points, while rookie guard Jevic Muteba (Revere, Mass.) hit 5 of 7 shots from the floor and 3 of 3 from the line for 13 points. Freshman guard Mike Gibbons (Ringwood, N.J.) chipped in with 12 points, including 4 three-pointers.

Emmanuel will play again on Tuesday night (1/27) when the Saints host the Mustangs of Mount Ida College in a 7pm tip. Suffolk is back in action on Saturday (1/24) at Norwich University at 3pm.

(story courtesy of Emmanuel Sports Information Dept.)