Men’s Basketball Slips at Salve Regina, 65-64

NEWPORT, R.I. – Suffolk men's basketball lost the lead with three seconds remaining in regulation and the Rams could not convert a hail mary, which allowed Salve Regina to take the 65-64 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) decision Wednesday night at the Rodgers Recreation Center.   

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 64 | Salve Regina 65 
RECORDS: Suffolk (11-3, 6-2 CCC) | Salve Regina (11-4, 6-2 CCC)   

HOW IT HAPPENED
Neither team really found their grove early on and Suffolk sat in front by three, 12-9, 7:31 into the action. Slowly, the Rams managed to break away and thanks to a 10-4 stretch to wrap up the first half, the blue-and-gold took a 33-22 advantage into the locker room.  

Suffolk started the second with a 6-3 stretch to extend its edge to 14, 39-25. Salve Regina crept back and trimmed matters down to a pair of possession, 46-41, at the 13:15 minute mark. 

John Gates and Nate Hale stepped up and knocked down crucial triples to keep the blue-and-gold in front by an eight, 55-47, with 8:19 left on the clock.   

Six straight points by the Seahawks made it a two-point game. Keenan Robertson responded for the Rams with a lay-up to push distance back to four and once the ball went through the net Jeff Juron used 30 seconds to talk to his team.  

Out of the huddle, the Rams put together a crucial 7-2 spurt that was bookended by treys from Cole LeVangie and Gates. Thanks to that run, Suffolk sat in front, 64-55, with just under three minutes remaining in regulation.  

Salve Regina used a timeout and similar to Suffolk's the break helped the host as they would be the only team to score the rest of the way. The Seahawks soared back, using a lay-up and pair of traditional three-point plays to pull within one, 64-63.  

LeVangie grabbed a defensive rebound with 18 seconds to go and was fouled. Salve Regina was over the limit, which sent the Rams' rookie to the line. LeVangie's shot was off the mark, Mikey Spencer picked up the board for the Seahawks and Andrews Richard's floater lofted into the net to push the hosts ahead, 65-64, with three seconds left. 

With the entire distance of the court to go and just two seconds to work with, the Rams last minute effort of Hale's deep 3-pointer as time expire was not enough to pull off the victory.   

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Hale had 20 points on a 7-for-13 showing from the field, which included a 4-for-8 performance from 3-point land. He contributed two caroms, two dimes, one block and one steal. 
• Robertson registered a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double. 
• Gates supplied 11 points, three boards and two takeaways. 
• Aidan Sullivan chipped in nine points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists. 
• Suffolk shot 48.1 percent (25-52) from the field, 38.5 percent (10-26) from behind-the-arc and just 57.1 percent (4-7) from the charity stripe. 
• The Seahawks outrebounded the Rams, 39-29.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Robertson had his first collegiate double-double. 
• Robertson recorded a career-high 11 boards.  

POST-GAME PIC
 

LOOKING AHEAD
Suffolk wraps up its week on the road at Western New England Saturday, Jan. 22 at 3 p.m.