Pair of Double-Doubles Push Women’s Basketball Past Nichols, 87-68

BOSTON – Jenni-Rose DiCecco and Amanda DeAngelis each provided all-around efforts with double-doubles to anchor Suffolk women's basketball's 87-68 victory over Nichols in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tuesday Night at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court.                                                                                                                                                     

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 87 | Nichols 68
RECORDS: Suffolk (8-3, 2-2 CCC) | Nichols (5-6, 1-3 CCC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Things stayed close in the first four minutes as an 8-all game stood when Nichols used a timeout 3:43 into play. DeAngelis took over for the Rams out of the huddle and helped the host gain a 15-13 lead with 4:13 remaining in the opening frame.  

The Bison banged shots from behind-the-arc to remain in the hunt until DiCecco converted her own long ball to spark a quarter-ending 8-0 stretch that put the Rams in front 27-19 at the end of the first 10 minutes. Sydney Noyes turned a trip to the free throw line to two points in the stretch, while Marissa Gattuso ended it with a triple from the corner.  

In the first two minutes of the second stanza, Nichols put in the first two buckets and Suffolk responded with two hoops of its own to cling to a 31-23 advantage. It was all Bison from there as they poured in 11 unanswered to flip the script in their favor, 34-31, at the midway point. In that run, three of the visitors four hoops came from downtown.  

The game of runs continued and this time in Suffolk's favor. The Rams outscored the Bison, 13-3, over the next five minutes to carry a 44-37 cushion into halftime. 

DeAngelis commanded Suffolk's offensive output out of the locker room. The sophomore from Londonderry, New Hampshire scored all 10 of the Rams points that kept the hosts ahead 54-43 halfway through the third quarter.   

Suffolk would go up by as many as 16 points after DiCecco poured in a pair of freebies with 3:17 remaining in the third. Nichols attempted to make things behind five quick points, however, Ed Leyden used a timeout to calm his team down. The huddle helped as the blue-and-gold strung together a 6-2 stretch to wrap up the third and take a 67-53 advantage into the fourth.  

It was a tight fourth quarter as a determined Nichols wanted the comeback. Suffolk maintained a double-digit distance over the final 10 minutes and built a 21-point edge when Sydney Richard made a lay-up with 1:29 left on the clock.  

That score stood as neither team managed to score any more points the rest of the way and the Rams took the home the victory.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• DeAngelis had 20-plus points and rebounds with a 29-point, 22-rebound performance. She shot 13-for-23 from the floor and 16 of her boards came on the offensive end. 
• DiCecco had 23 points and 10 caroms. The floor general was on the verge of a triple double with eight handouts to go along with five takeaways. 
• Noyes provided 13 boards and eight points. 
• Natalie Fraioli also grabbed double figures in rebounds with 11 of her own to go with seven points. 
• Suffolk overpowered Nichols on the boards, outrebounding the Bison 67-31. 
• The Rams shot 40 percent from the field and just 15.0 percent from three-point land. 
• The blue-and-gold converted 80 percent (16-20) of its free throws. 
• Suffolk scored in the paint often with 56 of its 87 points coming in the lane. 
• The Rams capitalized on their 39 offensive rebounds with 30 points on second chances. 
• Both teams scored 10 points on the fast break.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk improved to 10-12 all-time against Nichols. 
• The Rams are now 8-4 versus the Bison in Boston. 
• The blue-and-gold has put together a 5-1 mark against Nichols under Leyden's leadership. 
• DeAngelis put together the first double-double of her collegiate career. She hit the personal milestone in the first half. 
• DeAngelis registered career-highs in points (29) and rebounds (22). 
• DeAngelis had her first 20-plus point outing. 
• DeAngelis' 20 rebounds mark a single-game program record. It displaces the previous mark held of 19 by Alexis Hackett '19, who grabbed 19 caroms versus Johnson & Wales Feb. 20, 2018. The game-by-game record book dates back to the 2010-11 season. 
• DiCecco had her first double-double of the year, ninth of her career. 
• Fraioli matched a personal-best 11 rebounds. 
• Noyes notched a career-high 13 rebounds. 
• Gattuso matched a Suffolk high nine points.  

POST-GAME PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk heads to Gordon Thursday, Jan. 6 for a 5:30 p.m. match.