Women's Basketball Outlast JWU 61-57

The Suffolk University Women's Basketball team outlasted the Johnson & Wales University Wildcats, 61-57 on Saturday afternoon. It would take two overtime periods for the Rams to overcome the Wildcats to improve to 12-8 on the season as they earned their sixth win in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action in eight games.

Senior Jennifer Ruys (Wallingford, Conn.) finished the day with her season's fifth double-double as she led all players on the day with 19 points and added a team-high 10 rebounds. Junior Shelby Santini (Winchester, Mass.) scored her only two field goals of the day in the second overtime period to help lift Suffolk to the victory. Santini finished the day with 14 points as she was 10-for-12 from the free-throw line in the victory.

It was a back and forth contest all day long that featured 18 different lead changes as the game was tied on 13 separate occasions as well.

Suffolk took the first half of action with a 20-17 lead going into halftime despite only shooting 25-percent as a team from the field through the opening period of action. Juniors Tori Brillaud (North Andover, Mass.) and Iliana Quadri (Sudbury, Mass.) would combine for half of Suffolk's points in the half as they each tallied five through the first twenty minutes of action.

Both teams would continue to trade baskets through the entirity of the second half bringing the game to a 51-51 standstill at the end of regulation.

After a first overtime in which neither team could gain ground on the other, Santini opened the second extra frame with a layup that was followed by a converted free throw from Quadri for a 56-53 Suffolk edge two minutes into the period. Junior Valeria Arce (Providence, R.I.) would answer for the Wildcats putting in two of her game's 13 points on a layup before Santini and freshman Kelsey Schielbel (Windham, N.H.) put the Rams back up by a pair with a field goal and free throw. Quadri and sophomore Katie Murray (Holden, Mass.) sealed the victory as each knocked down a free throw attempt in the closing seconds of the game giving Suffolk their largest spread of the day at four points.

Senior Jenna Juron (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) and junior D'Ana Rolle (Gardner, Mass.) each netted 14 points on the day for the Wildcats who fall to a 7-15 overall record and 4-4 mark in GNAC play.

Quadri chipped in with 11 points for Suffolk.

The Rams will be back in action on Tuesday evening in non-conference against as they travel to Middlebury College at 5:30pm.