Women’s Basketball Heads to JWU for GNAC Rematch Thursday

BOSTON – The Suffolk women's basketball team returns to action Thursday, Jan. 26 as it travels to Providence, Rhode Island, for a rematch with Johnson & Wales. The Rams defeated the Wildcats Dec. 7, 61-60, thanks to a lay-up from Alexandra Clarke with 2.3 seconds remaining in the contest. The rematch is set to begin at 7 p.m. inside the Wildcat Center.    

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LAST TIME OUT
Double-doubles from Caitlyn Caramello and Alexis Hackett led the charge as Suffolk women's basketball rolled to its eighth straight win with a 72-51 decision over Mount Ida Saturday afternoon in GNAC action at the MIC Athletic Center.                               

MORE READING: Streak Stays Alive; Women's Basketball Stymies Mt. Ida, 72-51

RUNDOWN ON THE RAMS
Suffolk has the best-second semester start in over a decade with the Rams racking up eight straight wins, the longest winning stretch since matching that number Jan. 17-Feb. 5, 2011, and the best beginning to second semester since rattling off 11 victories to open the latter portion of the 2000-01 campaign. 

Thanks to its recent winning ways, Suffolk sits at 13-5 on the year and 8-1 in the GNAC South standings, tied for first with its Boston and league foe, Emmanuel (12-6, 8-1). 

The Rams potent offensive of 68.9 ppg sits second amongst its conference counterparts thanks in well in part to the second-best field goal percentage (39.1) and top three-point connection rate (35.1). Suffolk's offense is well balanced and led by a pair of seniors in Georgia Bourikas and Kelsey Schiebel, who each register 10.4 ppg. Alexis Hackett is a main contributor, as well, with 9.2 ppg, with Caitlyn Caramello providing 8.7 ppg. 

Suffolk steps up its game on the defensive end and sits atop the league with 47.1 rpg with the conference's second-best rebounding margin of 9.4. Katelyn Rourke is the main force on the glass grabbing 7.4 rpg with Caramello's 7.3 rpg right on her heels. Hackett and Clark add to the effort with 6.1 rpg each.  

WILDCAT WAYS
Johnson & Wales sandwiched two Ws around a five-point setback to Emmanuel last week to move to 9-7 on the season and 4-3 against conference competition.

The Wildcats rely heavily on limiting their opponents to just 52.4 ppg as their offense produces just 55.7 ppg. Ashley Thompson leads the offensive charge for JWU with the second-most ppg in the conference at 18.1 with Raquel Pederzani supplying 13.4 ppg. 

Defensively, the Wildcats grab 38.1 rpg. Thompson once again is the leader with 7.1 rpg. Ally Mishol and Bobbie Whitehead, meanwhile, record 6.0 rpg apiece. 

WE MEET AGAIN
With 2.8 seconds on the clock in the fourth frame and trailing by one, Alexandra Clarke put in the pass from Alexandra Nagri to lift the Suffolk women's basketball team to a thrilling 61-60 triumph over GNAC rival Johnson & Wales Wednesday night inside Regan Gymnasium. 

MORE READING: Women's Basketball Captures Thriller vs. JWU, 61-60

INSIDE THE SERIES
Suffolk's one-point victory over JWU in December ended a three-game win streak for the Wildcats over the Rams and improved the blue-and-gold to 16-7 in the all-time series. 

EYES ON THE GAME
  

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Since November 28 the GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week has donned Suffolk blue-and-gold with Alexis Hackett earning five honors, including four straight, and Katelyn Rourke picking up the nod twice, Dec. 5 and Jan. 23. 

BEST ROOK IN NEW ENGLAND
After collecting her fifth GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week nod this season, Suffolk women's basketball's Alexis Hackett earned another recognition as the NEWBA named her Rookie of the Week, the association announced Monday afternoon.   

MORE READING: NEWBA Recognizes Hackett as Rookie of the Week, Again

The pre-game shows are set to launch 15 minutes prior to tip-off of all contests and fans can follow along at mixlr.com/suffolkfreeradio/.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Rams will host their final regular-season double feature of the season inside Regan Gymnasium Saturday, Jan. 28 when the women's squad entertains Saint Joseph (Conn.) at 1 p.m., before the men's team tips-off against Anna Maria at 3:15 p.m.