Hackett’s Milestone Day Leads Women’s Basketball Past Norwich, 68-42

BOSTON – Alexis Hackett made the most of one of her final times at the Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court as she powered Suffolk women's basketball to a 68-42 victory over Norwich with a 27-point, 11-rebound double-double Saturday afternoon. Hackett's highlight performance featured her 1,000th career point for the Rams.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 68 | Norwich 42
RECORDS: Suffolk (16-7, 7-2 GNAC) | Norwich (8-15, 4-6 GNAC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Norwich scored on the first possession of the game, but Jenni-Rose DiCecco immediately responded for the Rams with a traditional three-point play. From there, Hackett had back-to-back hoops, one inside and one outside the arc, to give Suffolk an 8-2 edge three minutes into the action.  

Out of a Cadets timeout, the teams traded buckets. The back-and-forth did not continue though as the visitors used a 9-3 spurt to go ahead, 14-13, at the end of the first frame.  

After trading the lead in opening action of the second, the Cadets made it a two-possession gap, which stayed until the midway point, 23-19.  

Suffolk's second timeout of the day paid out in the hosts favor as it went on a 9-2 run to end the quarter. That stretch featured seven unanswered including a pair of fast-break lay-ups by Hackett, to send the Rams into half time up two, 28-26.  

In the first 2:30 out of the locker rooms, the conference counterparts went hoop-for-hoop. From there, Suffolk scored 15 straight. That run, which was ignited by DiCecco, featured a trio of treys in a row from Hackett with the third sealing her spot in Suffolk's 1,000-point club. That scoring frenzy gave the Rams a comfortable 41-28 cushion with 5:01 left on the clock in the third.  

DiCecco and Gabriella DeComo kept the streak going and pushed the margin to 17, 45-28, with 3:00 left in the third quarter.  

The Cadets tried to pick up the pace in the final 2:52, but Hackett and DiCecco kept the hosts in front by 15, 49-34.  

To open the fourth and final frame, Suffolk used a 10-1 run to grab a 59-35 cushion at the 6:24 minute mark. It was cruise control for the Rams to take the 68-42 victory.  

It was cruise control for Suffolk in the final frame as the Rams started with a 10-1 run to grab a 59-35 cushion at the 6:24 minute mark.  

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Hackett's offensive output came off an 11-for-16 show from the field, which saw the senior go 4-for-6 from three-point range. Nine of her 11 rebounds came on the defensive end. She added three steals, two assists and two blocks. 
• DiCecco supplied 20 points on an 8-for-11 effort from the floor, which included a 1-for-2 performance on the long ball. The floor general distributed five dimes to go with four caroms, three takeaways and one wat. 
• Emily Welling pitched in nine boards, four points, two blocks, two steals and one helper. 
• DeComo and Skylar Rojik each added four points. 
• Suffolk shot 45.9 percent (28-61) on the day, 31.3 percent (5-16) from three-point land and 77.8 (7-9) from the free throw line. 
• The Rams utilized the fast-break, scoring 15 points in transition. 
• Suffolk outrebounded Norwich, 45-38, and outscored the Cadets in the paint, 38-8.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk defeated Norwich for the third straight time to move to 23-9 all-time against the Cadets. 
• Hackett became the 16th member of Suffolk's 1,000-point club. She is the second Ram to join the season behind DiCecco, who accomplished the feat Dec. 4, 2019 at Fitchburg State. 
• Hackett is the 11th Suffolk women's basketball player to surpass both the 1,000-point and 500-rebound mark, first since Georgia Bourikas did so Feb. 10, 2018.
• Hackett rewrote new career highs in points (27) and matched a personal-best in field goals made (11). 
• Welling matched a career-high nine boards. 
• Rojik matched personal highs in free throws made (2) and attempted (2) and points (4). 
• Hackett had her 32nd career double-double, seventh of the season, first since at Johnson & Wales Jan. 29. 
• Prior to tip-off, the Rams honored the playing career of its lone graduating senior, Hackett. 

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk concludes its home regular-season slate Tuesday, Feb. 18 when it entertains Colby Sawyer at Smith Court. The 6 p.m. contest is the opener of a Rams' basketball doubleheader with the men's squad taking on Saint Joseph's (Maine) in the nightcap.