WNE Gets By Men’s Basketball in CCC Debut, 75-68

BOSTON – Conor Creane and Aidan Sullivan put on a shooting clinic with 11 3-pointers between the twosome, but it would not be enough for Suffolk men's basketball as the Rams fell to Western New England, 75-68, in their Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Wednesday night at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 68 | Western New England 75
RECORDS: Suffolk (3-2, 0-1 CCC) | Western New England (4-2, 1-0 CCC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
The long ball helped Suffolk take a 13-4 lead in the first 3:32 minutes. A scoring lull hit the host and the Golden Bears got back into the swing of it with 11 unanswered points. That stretch put the visitors in front, 15-13, at the midway point of the first frame.  

Triples from Creane and Sullivan regained the edge for the blue-and-gold that saw Suffolk in front, 26-22, with 4:41 to go before the half. 

After Gavin Greene made a layup, Western New England took a timeout. The huddle proved to help the Golden Bears as they went on a 9-3 spurt to end the half that sent Suffolk into the locker room down 33-29.  

Similar to how the game started, baskets from 3-point land restored the Rams lead. Sullivan's fast break trey got the shooting show going and the floor general capped off the stretch with his fourth three of the night that made it a 40-38 Suffolk game at the 17:58 minute mark.  

Over the next three minutes, Suffolk made it a two-possession game, however, that did not last long as back-to-back WNE buckets brought the visitors back within one, 48-47, with 13:15 remaining.  

Up two, Suffolk used a timeout at the 9:29 mark. It appeared like a case of déjà vu from the first half as the Golden Bears got momentum out of the break and rattled off nine unanswered points to put the blue-and-gold in a 61-54 hole 3.5 minutes later.   

The conference counterparts went hoop-for-hoop, which allowed Western New England to hold onto the six-point advantage, 66-60, with 4:35 left in regulation.  

That gap grew to double figures over the next minute and the Rams really had to put on their comeback shoes.  

Creane's sixth hoop from beyond-the-arc looked to get a Suffolk rally going. Despite Sullivan supplying a three, his fifth of the night, and a pair of freebies down the stretch, it would not be enough for the win.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Sullivan produced a game-high 22 points on a 7-for-14 effort from the floor and a 5-for-8 showing from behind-the-arc. The senior added three boards, three dimes and three takeaways to his stat line. 
• Creane contributed 18 points, all off the long ball. He was on the cusp of a double-double with eight caroms to go along with two takeaways and one set-up. 
• Keenan Robertson recorded 11 points, nine of which game in the second half. He added six rebounds, one block, one assist and one steal. 
• Cole LeVangie pitched in 10 points, seven boards, three handouts and two steals. 
• Suffolk shot better from three (43.8 percent) then the floor (35.4) on the night and struggled at the line (57.1). 
• The Rams outrebounded the Golden Bears, 42-40. 
• Four of WNE's starters have double digits in points in Brian Geitner (19), Jake Harrison (17), Greene (16) and Tim Restall (10). 
• Both teams had 16 points off turnovers. 
• WNE had 44 points in the paint compared to Suffolk's 16. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk played its first CCC contest of a campaign at home for the first time. 
• The blue-and-gold clashed with the Golden Bears in its first CCC outing of the season for the first time. 
• The Rams began their league campaign at home for the first time since 2018-19. 
• Creane set a new career-high in points (18), and matched a career-high in 3-pointers made (6), rebounds (8) and steals (2). 
• Sullivan it a career-high five triples.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Saturday, Dec. 2 sends Suffolk to Endicott for a 3 p.m. CCC battle.