Women’s Basketball Lifts Lid on 2017 at Pine Manor Thursday

BOSTON – Three weeks removed from its last outing, the Suffolk women's basketball team dusts off its sneakers and laces up for the first contest of 2017 when the Rams visit Pine Manor Thursday, Jan. 5 for a 3 p.m. non-conference matchup.   

SOCIALIZE
Stay up-to-date with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics by connecting with the Rams on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Be sure to use the hashtag #RamNation for an insider's look at Suffolk's teams and student-athletes.

LAST TIME OUT
The Suffolk women's basketball team capped off its 2016 portion of its schedule Dec. 13 with a 53-44 setback at Clark at the Kneller Athletic Center.   

MORE READING: Clark Takes Down Women's Basketball, 53-44, in 2016 Finale

RUNDOWN ON THE RAMS
Suffolk leveled its overall mark to 5-5 with the setback at Clark Dec. 13, which opened a four-game road swing. The Rams remain on the road for their next three contests and look to right the wrong that ended 2016.   

As a team, Suffolk is putting up 65.4 points per game on a 38.2 connection rate from the field. The Rams are potent from three-point range, shooting 34.6 percent and take care of business at the free throw line 66.3 percent of the time. Senior Georgia Bourikas is the main contributing force offensively for Suffolk with the guard, who comes off the bench, notching 10.7 ppg. 

On the defensive end of things the Rams hold a 4.4 rebounding margin over their opponents, grabbing 43.5 caroms per outing. Junior Caitlyn Caramello and freshman Katelyn Rourke lead the way for Suffolk on the glass bringing down 7.4 rpg and 7.3 rpg, respectively. 

GET TO KNOW THE GATORS
Pine Manor closed out 2016 on a three game skid with losses to fellow GNAC members Albertus Magnus (117-99), and Emmanuel (91-75) and a 65-54 defeat by Wentworth to sit a 4-7 on the season. 

The Gators are pouring in 68.8 ppg on a 36.5 shooting percentage from the field and a 30.7 connection rate from three-point range. A trio are producing double figures for Pine Manor in Erica Jones (16.9 ppg), Shaquanda Middleton (16.5 ppg) and Shaneka Monroe (13.5 ppg). 

Tiana Jordan's 6.8 rpg pace the Gator's 40.6 boards per outing effort, but it seems to be not enough as Pine Manor is being outrebound by its opponents on a 10.7 margin. 

THE SERIES
The Suffolk, Pine Manor series is one of the oldest in the record books with the team's first-meeting dating back to the 1983-84 season. The Gators commanded the earlier part of the meetings with all nine of its wins coming in the first 10 games. The Rams' first win over Pine Manor came in 1992-93 to break up the Gators' win streak against the blue-and-gold. As of late Suffolk has commanded the series, winning 17 in a row including an 84-68 triumph over the Gators inside Regan Gymnasium last season.  

EYES ON THE GAME
  

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Suffolk's freshman class has dominated the GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week as of late with the Rams taking the last four weekly accolades. Overall, Alexis Hackett, who garnered the honor three times including back-to-back honors Dec. 12 and Jan. 3, and Katelyn Rourke, who picked up her first collegiate nod Dec. 5, have taken home 80 percent (4-5) of the conference's best rookie over a seven day stretch accolades this season.

MORE READING: Hackett Named GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week | Rourke Picks Up GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week Nod| Hackett Collects Second GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week | Hackett Grabs Third GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week Honor

BEST ROOK IN NEW ENGLAND
After collecting her second GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week accolade Dec. 12, Alexis Hackett added more hardware to her growing collection as the freshman was named New England Women's Basketball Association (NEWBA) Rookie of the Week the same day the association announced.

MORE READING: Awards Roll in for Hackett, Named NEWBA Rookie of the Week

Suffolk Athletics has teamed up with Suffolk Free Radio to bring Ram Nation live broadcast events this year including multiple home and away women's basketball contests.

The pre-game shows are set to launch 15 minutes prior to tip-off of all contests and fans can follow along at mixlr.com/suffolkfreeradio/.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk continues its stretch on the road as it returns to conference divisional play at Saint Joseph (Conn.) Saturday, Jan. 7 for a 1 p.m. tip-off.