Babson Bests Men’s Basketball, 91-66

BABSON PARK, Mass. – Despite an early advantage, Suffolk men's basketball could not hold off a stingy scoring attack from the Beavers and Babson handed the Rams their first loss of the season, 91-66, Sunday night at Staake Gymnasium.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 66 | Babson 91
RECORDS: Suffolk (1-1) | Babson (2-0)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk built a 10-point, 12-2 lead in the first four minutes right out of the gates. Over the next two minutes Babson responded with six straight points to pull within one possession, 12-9. The Rams responded with another run of their own, this time scoring five in a row to extend the edge to 17-9 at the 13:19 minute mark.  

The blue-and-gold's scoring stalled over the next five minutes and the Beavers capitalized on the scoring draught to flip the script in their favor, 25-17. A back-and-forth battle took place from there that did not allow Suffolk to play catch up. Instead Babson slowly assembled a double-digit distance, which the hosts held onto at the half, 45-31. 

Out of the locker rooms, Nate Hale buried a bucket from behind-the-arc looking to spark a Suffolk comeback. The Beavers answered with back-to-back hoops of their own though to take their largest lead of the night to that point of 15 points, 49-34, 1:48 into the second stanza, which forced Jeff Juron to call a timeout early. 

The huddle proved to help Babson more than the Rams as the Beavers poured in back-to-back buckets to stretch the gap to 20 with 17:20 left on the clock. 

Babson went up by as many as 24 before Suffolk attempt another comeback. This time precision on freebies aided to the blue-and-gold back within 16 points. as John Gates, Aidan Sullivan and Cole LeVangie all went 2-for-2 at the charity stripe in that stretch. 

A lack of field goals from the Rams paid off the Beavers as the restored the 20-point margin that grew to 30, 85-55, with less than five minutes to go. That was too much ground for Suffolk to make up and Babson handled the Rams their first setback of the season.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Sullivan sparked Suffolk's scoring with a team-high 14 points behind a 4-for-6 effort from the floor and a near perfect showing at the line, going 5-for-6. He added a pair of dimes and one rebound and steal, respectively. 
• LeVangie provided 11 points, seven caroms and one block. 
• Gates registered 11 point and one board. 
• Hale had nine points, four caroms and three helpers. 
• William Rowe, Jake Gomez and Keenan Robertson all pulled down six boards. 
• Rowe added eight points. 
• Suffolk shot just 35.6 (21-59) from the field, and 33.3 percent (6-18) from downtown. 
• The Rams 81.8 connection rate (18-22) at the line help keep the blue-and-gold in the game. 
• The Beavers won the battle on the boards, 48-39. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Babson met for the 50th time. 
• Gomez recorded a career-high in points (5) and rebounds (6). 
• Devin Dzikas and Kyle Phillips each produced their first collegiate points, as well as rebounds. 
• LeVangie notched a personal-best in points (11), rebounds (7), block (1).  

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk has the next 10 days off from competition as it preps for its Thursday, Nov. 18 tangle with Tufts. The tilt with the Jumbos will serve as the Rams home opener at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court.