Men’s Basketball Cruises Past Wentworth, 79-42, in CNE Opener

BOSTON – Suffolk men's basketball got balanced scoring with four Rams in double figures to pull away from Wentworth, 79-42, in the Conference of New England (CNE) opener on the road Tuesday evening, 79-42. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 79 |Wentworth 42
RECORDS: Suffolk (5-3, 1-0 CNE) | Wentworth (0-8, 0-2 CNE) 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• James Jones powered a 14-5 surge to open the game, scoring seven quick points to put the Rams in front at the 12:41 mark of the first stanza.
• Wentworth trimmed the deficit to six, but back-to-back threes from Nick Verdile followed by a Marquis Whitelayup stretched the Rams' lead to 26-15 with 5:44 remaining in the half.
• Suffolk closed the frame on a 12-3 run, highlighted by four apiece from Hatcher Nordquist and Harrison Neil, to take a 38-18 advantage into the halftime break.
• The teams traded baskets to start the second stanza, but Greg Keane made his presence felt with a layup, a block, and a fastbreak finish in succession, helping the Rams extend their advantage to 55-31 at the under-12 media timeout.
• Out of the huddle, Suffolk erupted for 14 unanswered points, sparking an extended 34-11 surge to close out the game with a commanding 79-42 victory.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Jones led the Rams with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, adding seven rebounds, four helpers, two steals, and one swat.
• Verdile contributed a dozen points on 4-of-8 shooting, going 3-of-6 from three-point range, while also dishing out four assists and grabbing four boards.
• Neil added 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting, hitting two threes, while Davis scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting to round out the double-digit scorers.
• Keane led the team in steals (3) and blocks (2).
• Suffolk held the Leopards to 30.2 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from long range.
• The Rams forced 23 WIT turnovers and converted them into 32 points.
• The blue-and-gold showcased excellent ball movement, out-assisting Wentworth 21-7. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk secured its third straight win over the Leopards to move to 15-11 in the all-time series.
• Suffolk won its third straight CNE opener to move to 17-10 in the first league contest of the year and 4-1 in CNE openers.
• The Rams began their CNE calendar on the road for the third straight season. 
• The blue-and-gold boasts a 7-3 ledger in league debuts under Jeff Juron.
• The Rams moved to 5-7 on the road in the series.
• Suffolk now sports a 5-6 record against the Leopards in the Juron era. 
• The 37-point victory is the largest of the season and largest since February 22, 2025, when the Rams bested Nichols 105-65.
• Neil set a new career-high with 12 points and tied his top marks with four assists and two steals.
• Davis recorded personal bests of 11 points and three steals, while matching his career highs in rebounds (3) and assists (2). 
• White posted career highs with three assists and two steals.
• Nordquist added personal bests of seven points, two field goals made, four assists, and two steals.
• Jones tallied a career high with three assists and two steals and tied his best with one block.
• Max Neelley scored his first collegiate points with four, while setting career highs with two field goals made, one steal, and one rebound.
• Abdiel Zapata recorded his first collegiate points with two and grabbed two boards.
• Connor Crist notched his first collegiate point and first assist.
• James Meklis grabbed a career-high two boards.
• Zach Harvey-Seutcheu collected his first four rebounds and first assists in a Suffolk uniform. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Rams return to Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court on Saturday Dec 6, hosting Curry in a 2:00 p.m. CNE matchup.