Men’s Basketball Soars Past Rivier, 89-62

NASHUA, N.H. – Michael Hagopian poured in his second-straight 30-plus point game to lead a well-balanced Suffolk men's basketball team over the Raiders of Rivier Wednesday night inside Muldoon Gymnasium. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 86, Rivier 62
RECORDS: Suffolk (6-14, 5-8 GNAC) | Rivier (1-19, 0-13 GNAC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Hagopian started things off with a shooting show from downtown with the sophomore netting back-to-back triples. Jim Djema got in on the action for the Rams hoop and Hagopian followed suit with his third of the night and just like that it as a 12-4 Suffolk game just 4:28 into the action. 

The Rams cooled off and the Raiders pulled within six, 14-8, but another Suffolk run, which featured two consecutive treys from Matt McLean, gained a double-digit advantage for the visitors, 23-13, at the midway point of the half. 

Suffolk kept Rivier at bay the rest of the way and with under five minutes before the intermission it truly turned into the Hagopian show. The Watertown, Massachusetts product personally went shot-for-shot with the Raiders as the guard scored the final 14 points of the first 20 minutes for Suffolk to give the rams a 45-36 lead at the break. 

Hagopian started right where he left off putting away the first hoop of the second stanza and the Rams rallied behind him, grabbing a 20-point lead, 64-44 on a long ball, by yet again Hagopian at the 11:54 mark. The blue-and-gold put cruise control on the rest of the way to capture the victory, 89-62, marking the first time this season Suffolk coupled back-to-back wins together. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Not even one game removed from setting the record for points in the Jeff Juron era Hagopian had another night to himself pouring in 36 points on an 11-for-16 performance from the field, 6-for-10 showing behind the arc and a nearly 8-for-9 perfect effort on freebies.
• Thomas Duffy matched his perfect offensive output of 12 points on a 5-for-5 day from the floor to go with a game-high 12 boards.
• Djema contributed 12 points and seven rebounds.
• Kevin Querusio set up 10 shots and added five caroms and two points himself.
• Suffolk shot 54.9 percent on the evening and an impressive 40.0 percent from long range and 74.1 at the charity stripe.
• Rivier, meanwhile, struggle going just 29.3 percent from the floor, 18.8 on the three-ball, but impressively took advantage of its trips to the line with an 80.6 connection rate.
• The Rams held down the advantage on the glass, outrebounding the Raiders, 40-30. 

NOTEABLES

• Suffolk improved to 22-14 all-time versus Rivier and swept the Raiders regular-season meetings since the 2014-15 season.
• Hagopian displaced his previously set record of points in the Jeff Juron era (34) with a career-high 36. The total marks the most since Sam Nwadike dropped 39 in a thrilling 84-82 win over Anna Maria.
• Duffy recorded his first collegiate double-double.
• Querusio is the first Ram to dish out 10 assists since Colin Halpin and Matt Pepdjnovic each had 11 in a 73-71 overtime setback at Emerson Feb. 14, 2013.
• Suffolk's 22 assists are the most by a squad in one contest since the 2013-14 dished out 24 handouts at Emerson January 4, 2014 in an 85-80 win. 

POST-GAME PIC

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk stays out on the road Saturday, Feb. 4 when it makes the short trip across town for a 1 p.m. showdown at Emmanuel.