GNAC Quarterfinals Pits Women's Basketball Against Johnson & Wales

BOSTON – As the tournament's third seed, the Suffolk women's basketball team welcomes sixth-seeded Johnson & Wales to Regan Gymnasium Tuesday, Feb. 20 to open 2018 GNAC Women's Basketball Tournament action. The quarterfinals contest is set for a 7 p.m. start.

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2018 GNAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Quarterfinals – Tuesday, Feb. 20
Game 1: #8 Mount Ida at #1 Saint Joseph's (Maine) – 5:30 PM 
Game 2: #5 Albertus Magnus at #4 Regis – 7:00 PM
Game 3: #6 Johnson & Wales at #3 Suffolk – 7:00 PM
Game 4: #7 Norwich at #2 Emmanuel – 7:00 PM

Semifinals – Thursday, Feb. 22
Game 5: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner Game 1
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3

Championship – Saturday, Feb. 24
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 5

LAST TIME OUT
Every Ram in the scorebook had multiple points as the Suffolk women's basketball team put together a team effort to coast past Saint Joseph's (Conn.), 80-60, on Senior Day Saturday afternoon inside Regan Gymnasium.

MORE READING: Women's Basketball Sails Past USJ, 80-60, on Senior Day

RAMS RUNDOWN
Suffolk wrapped up the regular season with the most wins (19-6) since going 23-4 in 2012-13 and tied the program's record for league victories, going 12-4 in conference contests. 

Senior Georgia Bourikas has been helped by underclassmen Jenni-Rose DiCecco and Alexis Hackett to anchor Suffolk's 68.7 ppg offense. Bourikas' 14.0 ppg leads the way with DiCeco sliding into second thanks to 13.9 ppg and Hackett's 11.2 ppg rounding out the trio. 

Hackett is the main ingredient on the glass as the sophomore pulls down 10.7 rpg. Bourikas and DiCecco chip in 6.2 rpg and 5.2 rpg, respectively, to the Rams' 41.8 rpg effort.

POSTSEASON PUSH
Suffolk has not missed a conference tournament since the inaugural season of GNAC contests in 1995-96 and makes its 23rd consecutive trip, all of which came under the guidance of Ed Leyden. The Rams earned their highest seeding since sitting second in 2013 and enter the race to GNAC glory as the third seed for the fourth time and first since 2007. In its 22 tournament appearances, Suffolk has advanced to the semis on nine occasions and competed in the championship four times. 

Johnson & Wales and Suffolk will meet for the third time in the conference's postseason. Both of the previous meetings have come in the quarterfinals with each team owning one win apiece.  

WILDCAT WAYS
Despite slipping to Albertus Magnus, 85-68, in the season finale, Johnson & Wales' 11-5 league ledger and 15-10 overall record put the Wildcats in sixth in the tournament's field. 

Senior Raquel Pederzani has been behind the majority of JWU's success this season as she paces the pack offensively with 17.6 ppg. Ally Mishol, meanwhile, adds 13.2 ppg to the Wildcats' 65.5 ppg. 

Mishol leads the way on the boards with 6.2 rpg with Kristen Habbel contributing 5.4 rpg and Pederzani notching 5.0 rpg.

WE MEET AGAIN
Jordan Hipwell poured in a career-high 23 points to lead five Rams in double figures as Suffolk women's basketball took down Johnson & Wales in a 70-67 thriller Jan. 25 at the Wildcat Center. 

MORE READING: Hipwell Headlines Women's Basketball's Thrilling 70-67 Win at JWU

THE SERIES
Suffolk's regular season victory over JWU improved the Rams to 17-8 all-time versus the Wildcats. 

When it comes to the GNAC postseason, Suffolk and JWU will meet for the third time with its pair of meetings coming in the quarterfinals. The Wildcats won the last meeting in 2014 as the fifth seed, upsetting the fourth-seeded Rams, 59-45, while Suffolk took down JWU 56-43, as the third seed in 2007.

EYES ON THE GAME

ROOKIE RECORD REMARKS
Jenni-Rose DiCecco's shelf of weekly awards has gotten rather full in her freshman campaign as she picked up her eighth GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week honor. 

DiCecco has become the most decorated rookie in the league as she took home her eighth rookie of the week nod, which marks the most in the conference's year-by-year record book, which dates back through the 2008-09 season. 

MORE READING: DiCecco Takes Home Eighth GNAC Corvias Rookie of the Week

WHAT'S NEXT?
The winner of Tuesday's tilt advances to the semifinals and will take on the win of #2 Emmanuel and #7 Norwich Thursday, Feb. 24 at the highest remaining seed.