Men’s Basketball CNE Championship on the Line Saturday at WNE

SUFFOLK at WESTERN NEW ENGLAND
Date Time Venue Video Stats Series Last Meeting Last Suffolk Win Streak	Saturday, March 1 1:00 PM Alumni Healthful Living Center Springfield, Mass. NSNSports.net WNEGoldenBears.com 12-19 Jan. 11, 2025, W, 65-64 Same Won 3

BOSTON – The 2025 Conference of New England men's basketball champion will be crowned in Springfield, Massachusetts Saturday, March 1 as the third-seeded Rams of Suffolk University take their talents to top seed Western New England for a 1:00 p.m. title tilt. 

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Ram Nation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on Facebook, Instagram and X. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

2025 CNE MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Tuesday, Feb. 25 – First Round
Game 1: No. 3 Suffolk defeated No. 6 Wentworth, 87-78 – Box Score 
Game 2: No. 4 Roger Williams defeated No. 5 Nichols, 83-75 – Box Score

Thursday, Feb. 27 – Semifinals
Game 3: No. 3 Suffolk defeated No. 2 Endicott, 96-85 – Box Score
Game 4: No. 1 Western New England defeated No. 4 Roger Williams, 97-65 – Box Score

Saturday, Feb. 29 – Championship
Game 5: No. 3 Suffolk at No. 1 Roger Williams – 1:00 p.m. – Live Stats | Live Video 

MORE INFO: 2025 CNE Men's Basketball Tournament Championship Central

RAMS IN THE POSTSEASON

• Suffolk is in the midst of its 20th overall postseason trip and 12th straight conference tournament run.
• The trip is Suffolk's fourth CNE (formerly CCC) Tournament trip. 
• The Rams entered the CNE field as the third seed for the first time. 
• It is the second time in program history that Suffolk is the third seed, first since 2001. 
• Over its 19 conference tournament appearances, Suffolk has advanced to the semifinals seven times, including this year, and the championship contest three, including this year.
• The championship appearance is the third ever, second straight. 
• It is the first time that Suffolk will play in back-to-back championship contests. 
• The Rams aim to capture their first CNE crown and second-ever league championship, first since the 2002 GNAC Title. 
• Suffolk will compete on a true road in the conference championship for the second time and second time in as many seasons.
• Suffolk is 1-1 in conference championship games and 0-1 in CNE title tilts. 
• It was the first time that Suffolk competed in a league's semifinal in back-to-back campaigns since 2001 and 2002.           
• Suffolk is 3-4 in a conference semifinal. 
• In the CNE, the Rams sport a 2-1 semifinal record. 
• Both of Suffolk's CNE semifinal contests have taken place on the road. 
• Suffolk boasts a 5-3 overall record in the CNE Tournament. 
• Suffolk hosted a CNE postseason game for the second time, first since 2022.
• The Rams are unbeaten in CNE Tournament tilts played at Smith Court, 2-0. 
• On the road, the blue-and-gold is 3-3 in CNE postseason play. 
• Under Jeff Juron's guidance, Suffolk is 6-7 in the postseason and 4-3 in the CNE Tournament. 
• The Rams have needed overtime to decide a winner in a postseason contest once, the 2024 first round at third-seed Endicott. Suffolk won that tangle, 80-79. 

MORE INFO: CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

LAST TIME OUT
Keenan Robertson knocked down 10 3-pointers for a game-high 43 points to pace the third-seeded Suffolk men's basketball team to a thrilling 96-85 victory over second seed Endicott in the 2025 Conference of New England Semifinals Thursday night at MacDonald Gymnasium. 

MORE READING: Robertson Fuels Men's Basketball's 96-83 CNE Semis Win at Endicott 

RAMS RUNDOWN
Suffolk rides a six-game win streak into the title game Saturday. That win streak, its longest since Jan. 7-24, 2023, helped the Rams produce their first-ever 20-win season at 20-7.  

Keenan Robertson has been an all-around player and brings in a 22.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.9 apg state line. Danny Yardemian provides 12.7 ppg and 4.9 apg to the blue-and-gold's 77.7 ppg offense, that receives 11.7 ppg from Nick Verdile. Cole LeVangie and Jake Gomez contribute 8.8 ppg and 8.4 ppg, respectively. That twosome of Gomez and Yardemian factor into the rebounding conversation as well. Gomez brings down 6.3 rpg and Yardemian adds 5.4 rpg.  

GET TO KNOW THE GOLDEN BEARS
Western New England has won its last four games to head into Saturday's action 20-6 on the season.  

The fivesome of Tim Restall (16.1 ppg), Brian Beitner (13.2 ppg), Cody Palazzi (11.1 ppg), Luka Vlajovic (10.3 ppg), and Jake Harrison (10.2 ppg) are the crucial components to the Golden Bears' 79.1 scoring unit. Harrison helps set up the offensive output with 4.0 apg. 

Restall (7.5 rpg, 1.0 spg) and Harrison (7.2 rpg, 1.1 spg) are defensive forces. Vlajovic compliments the pair with 3.8 rpg. 

LAST TIME WE MET
Suffolk men's basketball swept the two-game series with Western New England in the regular season. The Rams topped the Golden Bears in Boston, 70-60, Jan. 22, before sneaking by WNE in Springfield, 65-54, Feb. 11.  

MORE READING: Men's Basketball Hands WNE First CNE Loss of Season, 70-60 | Robertson's Four-Point Play Ships Men's Basketball by WNE, 65-64 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk is 12-19 all-time against Western New England. 
• The Rams have won three games in a row versus WNE. The longest win streak over the Golden Bears in program history.
• Suffolk is 6-9 when hosting the Golden Bears in Boston.
• In Springfield, the Rams are 6-10 against WNE. 
• The blue-and-gold is 5-5 versus WNE under Jeff Juron's guidance. 
• Suffolk and Western New England have needed overtime to decide a winner three times. 
• The Rams are 1-2 when taking WNE to OT. 
• The last time the blue-and-gold and the Golden Bears went into OT the Rams lost, 88-81, Jan. 22, 2022. 
• Suffolk and Western New England will meet in the CNE Tournament (formerly CCC) for the second time and in as many years. 
• The Rams are 1-3 in a conference postseason versus the Golden Bears, unbeaten in CNE postseason play, 1-0. 
• Suffolk and WNE will battle in a conference championship for the first time. 
• All four postseason games between Suffolk and WNE have taken place in Springfield, Massachusetts. 

STAT SHOWDOWN

WHAT'S NEXT?
The victor of Saturday's action will earn the CNE's automatic berth to the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship that gets underway next week. The selection show for the Big Dance is scheduled for Monday, March 3 at 12:00 p.m. on NCAA.com.