Men’s Basketball Handles Lasell in Home Opener, 90-64

BOSTON – Five different Rams produced double figures to anchor Suffolk men's basketball to a 90-64 non-conference home-opening victory over Lasell Saturday afternoon at the Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 90 | Lasell 64
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-1) | Lasell (0-3)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk gained a double-digit distance early on at 17-7, but that margin did not last long. Stefan Masciarelli took control for the Lasers and pulled Lasell within one, 19-18, before Kevin Vanderhorst leveled the playing field at 21-all with 8:02 left in the first frame.  

Brendan Mulson broke a 23-23 tie with a bucket from behind-the-arc that sparked an 8-3 Rams run that pushed the hosts ahead by a handful, 31-26.  

Lasell kept things interesting, however, and back-to-back buckets from the visitors kept it a one-possession game, 31-30, with 3:46 to go before half time.  

It turned into the Suffolk show from there as four difference players combined for 10 unanswered points that gave the blue-and-gold a 41-30 advantage at the 1:33 minute mark that grew to a 46-31 cushion at the intermission.  

Suffolk's late scoring carried into the opening portion of the second stanza. Over the first 90 seconds the Rams put together a 6-1 spurt capped off by a dunk from Max Bonney-Liles that extended the advantage to 20 points, 52-32.  

It was cruise control from there for the blue-and-gold led by as many as 32, 80-48, when Nate Hale knocked down a triple with 6:25 remaining in regulation.  

Over the final five minutes fouling and turnovers kept the scoring at a low for the final 90-64 margin.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Bonney-Liles paced the five players in double figures with 18 points on a 7-for-8 showing from the field, including a 2-for-2 effort from behind-the-arc to go along with seven boards. 
• William Rowe matched Bonney-Liles' connection rate, 7-for-8 from the floor, for 16 points. 
• Hale added 14 points off the bench, shooting 4-for-6 from the floor and 5-for-6 at the free throw line.  
• George Grillakis notched 12 points, four assists, two boards, one block and one steal. 
• Jarret Byrne was on the verge of a double-double as the reserve registered 10 points and seven caroms. 
• Overall, Suffolk shot 55.9 percent (33-59) from the floor and went just 64.3 percent (18-28) from the charity stripe. 
• The Lasers edged out the Rams on the glass, 42-41.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk defeated Lasell for the second straight meeting. The back-to-back wins over Lasell is a first with Jeff Juron on the bench and since stringing two victories in a row together against the Lasers in 2010-11. 
• The Rams improved to 9-16 versus the Lasers overall and 4-7 versus Lasell under Jeff Juron's guidance. 
• Suffolk captured its third-straight home opener to move to 3-2 in its first game on its home hardwood in the Juron era. 
• Bonney-Liles set new career highs in points (18) and field goals made (2) and matched a personal-best seven caroms. 
• Hale notched a personal-best in freebies made (5) and taken (6), as well as takeaways (2).
• J. Byrne had produced a personal-best field goals made (4), free throws made (2) and taken (5) and points (10). 
• Connor Creane matched a career-high three points and recorded his first-ever handout. 
• Adam Davenport, Ismail Fofana and Kobie Reid all made their collegiate debuts.  

POST-GAME PIC
  

COMING UP
Suffolk remains in the friendly confines of the Ridgeway Building Wednesday, Nov. 20 when it welcomes Brandeis to the Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court for a 7 p.m. midweek match.