Men’s Basketball Coasts Past Lesley, 61-46

BOSTON – The Suffolk men's basketball team stretched its win streak to three straight as the Rams took down local foe Lesley 61-46, Saturday afternoon inside Regan Gymnasium. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 61, Lesley 46
RECORDS: Suffolk (4-4) | Lesley (4-5) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk grabbed an early 11-0 lead with four different Rams writing their names in the scorebook early and forcing a Lesley timeout just 3:56 into the action. Off the bench, George Grillakis kept Suffolk's run going with a triple to give the Rams a 14-0 cushion. 

After being held scoreless for 6:14, the Lynx got the board as Chase Howard hit a baby jumper. The score hit a standstill from there with neither team finding the netting over the next 2:32 until Cameron Powers hit a pull-up shot from the right elbow. 

Powers ignited a 14-4 spurt for Suffolk that put the hosts ahead 27-8 with 6:37 remaining in the first frame and Lesley used its second timeout of the afternoon. The Lynx started to find their grove, but it was no match for the Rams who controlled the rest of the half to cruise into the locker room up 38-16. 

Suffolk maintained its distance over the second set of 20 minutes despite the Lynx outscoring the hosts 30-23 the first half damage was enough to give the Rams the 61-46 non-conference win. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Michael Hagopian led the offense charge as the junior shot 60 percent (5-10) from the floor and 4-for-6 from behind-the-arc to finish the afternoon with a game-high 17 points.
• Thomas Duffy joined Hagopian in double figures with 11 thanks to a 5-for-6 showing at the line. The sophomore added six boards and a pair of assists.
• In a reserve effort, Jamal Fiin rounded out the Rams in double digits as the sophomore dropped 10, going 4-for-7 from the field.
• Brendan Mulson played an all-around game, contributing a team-best nine caroms to go along with eight points, three dimes and three steals.
• As a team, Suffolk shot 41.7 percent (20-48) from the floor, 37.5 percent (9-24) from three-point range and 75.0 percent (12-16) at the free throw line.
• The Lynx, who received 11 points from Joey Martin, held the upper hand on the class, 33-32. 

NOTEWORTHY

• The win marks Suffolk's third straight. The season-best win-streak is the most victories in a row in the Jeff Juron era. The three consecutive triumphs ARE the Rams' longest win streak since compiling four straight wins together Nov. 22-Dec. 4, 2014.
• Suffolk gained a 2-1 all-time series lead versus Lesley and won its second straight contest versus the Lynx.
• Suffolk and Lesley renewed a rivalry, which began in 2007, meeting for the third time in the all-time series. Saturday's showdown is the first between the Rams and Lynx with Juron on Suffolk's bench and first time the team's tangled since 2014.
• The Rams are undefeated (3-0) at home this season.
• Hagopian and Duffy each produced double figures for the seventh time this season. Hagopian racked up double digits in five consecutive games, while Duffy has hit double figures in four straight contests.  
• Fiin's 10 points mark a career-best for the sophomore.
• For the eighth time this season, Juron used the starting combination of Jim Djema, Hagopian, Duffy, Mulson and Kevin Querusio for the eighth contest this year. 

POST-GAME PIC
 

COMING UP
Suffolk wraps up first semester action Tuesday, Dec. 12 in a Rams basketball doubleheader event. The women's team gets the action going at 5 p.m. versus Boston Commons neighbor Emerson before the men's squad tips off versus UMass Boston at 7 p.m.