Men’s Basketball Bests Ohio Northern at Naples Shootout, 78-70

NAPLES, Fla. – Suffolk men's basketball concluded its time at the Naples Shootout with a 78-70 victory over Ohio Northern Friday night at the Community School of Naples. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 78 | Ohio Northern 70 
RECORDS: Suffolk (5-5) | Ohio Northern (5-6) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk scored the first eight points of the evening to cling to the early edge four minutes into the action. The Polar Bears powered back with a 10-2 run to level the playing field at 10-all two minutes later.  

A hoop-for-hoop affair followed with the lead flip-flopping four times. The Rams regained the advantage with one-minute remaining in the first frame when Cole LeVangie swished a triple. John Gates followed with a trey of his own to send the blue-and-gold into the locker room up a pair of possessions, 41-37. 

After the teams traded hoops to get the second stanza going, Suffolk surged ahead, 56-41, at the 15:07 mark thanks to 11 unanswered points.  

The Rams managed to maintain that double-digit distance until the final four minutes when Ohio Northern flirted with a comeback. Five quick points from the Polar Bears made it a 66-60 Suffolk game with 2:31 remaining in regulation.  

See-saw action ensued, which allowed the blue-and-gold stay in front. The game would then be decided at the free throw line. Despite the Polar Bears sinking most of their freebies, the Rams put away the foul shots that matter to take the 78-70 decision. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Keenan Robertson finished the night with a game-high 21 points on an 8-for-13 showing from the field. He added four boards, one helper and one block. 
• Aidan Sullivan put together an 18-point, six-assist, four-rebound, one-steal stat line. 
• Conor Creane chipped in 10 points, eight caroms, three takeaways and one dime. 
• LeVangie logged eight points, four rebounds, one swat and one rebound. 
• William Rowe recorded seven points, while Gates and Jake Gomez supplied six apiece. 
• Ohio Northern outrebounded the Rams, 38-35. 
• Suffolk scored over half its points in the paint (40). 
• The Polar Bears, who were led by C.J. Napier's 18 points, received 29 points from their reserves, 16 of which came from Adam Scott. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Ohio Northern met for the first time. 
• Robertson had back-to-back 20-plus point games. 

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk heads back to Beantown where it will continue its Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) campaign at Wentworth Tuesday, Jan. 3 at 7:30 p.m.