Salve Regina Outlasts Men’s Basketball, 75-68

BOSTON – The Suffolk men's basketball team kept things as a one possession game for the majority of the second half against Salve Regina, but the Seahawks coupled back-to-back hoops to open a slim margin the visitors would not relinquish to defeat the Reams, 75-68, Sunday afternoon inside Regan Gymnasium. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 68, Salve Regina 75
RECORDS: Suffolk (0-5) | Salve Regina (2-3)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Salve Regina put in the first six points of the contest and Suffolk played catch up from there. Baskets from four different Rams put the Rams within two, 10-8, before back-to-back Suffolk hoops, one from Thomas Duffy and one from Jonathan Eng, tied things at 12-1 with 8:32 on the clock. 

Eng would equalize the game again at 16-all, before a layup from Quinn McCartney gave the Rams their first lead of the afternoon, 20-19. Out of a Salve Regina timeout, the visitors went on to build their largest lead of the day, 34-23, with 2:17 to go before intermission. A triple from Michael Hagopian and a layup from Jim Djema cut the deficit to just six as the team's headed to the locker rooms. Suffolk stormed out of half time and used a 7-2 stretch to lock things at 36-36 as Djema swished a trey. The score would flip flop from there, but neither team gained more than a one-possession lead. Eng dropped a three-pointer with 9:07 to go to put Suffolk out in front, 51-48. 

The score would tie twice more, before the Seahawks went on a rampage to regain a 64-57 advantage. The game turned to the foul line with both teams in double bonus and Salve Regina locked up the win from the stripe. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Djema led a well-balanced Suffolk offense with 14 points on a 6-for-11 performance from the floor to go with three assists and two takeaways.
• Eng had a career-day, contributing 12 points, shooting 4-for-7 from the field and recorded three rebounds and two assists.
• McCartney pitched in nine points and a team-best five rebounds along with one block and one steal.
• For Salve Regina, Nicholas Bates had a day in all aspects, pouring in 33 points and grabbing 19 rebounds.
• Suffolk shot 41.1 percent (23-56) from the field compared to Salve Regina's 52.1 percentage (25-48) from the floor. 

NOTEABLES

• Djema paced Suffolk's offense for the first time in his career.
• Eng provided career-bests in all categories – points (12), rebounds (3) and assists (2).
• Thomas Duffy matched career-highs in points (6), assists (2), blocks (1) and steals (2). 

POST-GAME PIC

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk takes one days rest before heading across town to Wheelock Tuesday, Nov. 29 for a 6:30 p.m. non-conference contest.