New Season Begins as Women’s Basketball Opens GNAC Play at Simmons

BOSTON – Riding a two-game win streak and sitting 8-4 overall, Suffolk women's basketball starts anew Saturday when it visits Simmons to open up Great Northeast Athletic Conference play. The Rams tip-off their GNAC season at 1 p.m. at the Sharks' Moore Gymnasium.  

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OPENING THE GNAC GATES
Suffolk will open its 21st season of GNAC action Saturday. The Rams are 14-6 in the first conference game of the season, all under head coach Ed Leyden.

Suffolk will meet Simmons for the GNAC opener for the second time in program history. The Rams and Sharks meet in the conference opener in 2009-10, with Simmons coming out with the victory, 60-56.

A year ago, Suffolk dropped a 60-56 decision to Johnson & Wales at home in its GNAC opener.

The Rams will get the conference slate underway on the road for the 10th time in program history and the first time since the 2011-12 season. For just the second time in Suffolk history, the Rams will compete against Simmons. The Sharks won the first meeting in 2009-10 (60-56).

LAST TIME OUT
The Suffolk women's basketball team trounced its Boston local rival Pine Manor Thursday night, 84-68, inside Regan Gymnasium. 

Suffolk received outstanding performances from a number of players. In just 19 minutes of action off the bench, Chelsea Campellone shot 50 percent (8-16) from the field for 19 points and provided 15 boards on the defensive end. Kelsey Schiebel matched Campellone's team-high 19 points, while Alexandra Nagri chipped in 13. Caitlyn Caramello had a career night with 18 rebounds, the most by a player in blue-and-gold since Tori Brillaud '15 matched that number against Johnson & Wales February 5, 2013 and added eight points. Alexndra Clarke contributed a career-high 12 boards to Suffolk's team total of 80. 

MORE READING: Women's Basketball Handles Pine Manor, 84-68

RUNDOWN ON THE RAMS

• Suffolk closed its five-game homestand Thursday night with an 84-68 triumph over Pine Manor to bring an 8-4 record into league action.
• The Rams post the fourth-best offense in the GNAC with 66.1 points per game with a pair of upperclassmen contributing double figures. Chelsea Campellone paces the pack as the senior forward scores the 10th-most points per outing in the league, 13.7, off the 15th highest field goal percentage of 39.7. Classmate Alessandra Quadri sits second on the team and 21st in the conference with 12.1 points per contest, while her 3-point shooting percentage (34.1) sits eighth.
• Defensively, the Rams pull down league-best 49.3 rebounds per game, including 33.4 rebounds on the defensive end, which also tops the conference. Campellone leads the way on the glass with the second-highest boards per game amongst the GNAC with 10.7.

SOMETHING 'BOUT THE SHARKS

• Simmons enters play Saturday coming off a 68-42 win over Newbury Thursday. Two members of the Sharks scored 10 points each off the bench in Francesca Corsinetti and Nicole Alberghini.
• Simmons' win over the Nighthawks extended its win-streak to two and the Sharks now own a 5-5 record on the year.
• The Sharks have been outscored by their opponents, 55.2-51.3, and are shooting 32.7 percent from the field. Simmons does not have a single player producing double figures as Corsinetti leads the team in points with 9.0 per outing.

CONSISTENT CHELSEA
Chelsea Campellone has been a consistent figure for Suffolk on both ends of the hardwood this season. The senior ranks among the GNAC leaders in several statistical categories including rebounds (10.7 – 2nd), points per minutes (24.5 – 2nd), and points per game (13.7 – 10th). The 5-foot-7 forward has registered five double-doubles on the year, led the Rams in scoring five times and rebounds on six occasions.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk steps out of conference play Tuesday, Jan. 12 when it visits Curry for a 5:30 p.m. game.