Leyden Wins 400th, Women’s Basketball Puts Down Pine Manor, 69-41

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Jenni-Rose DiCecco and Jordan Hipwell each registered double-double efforts to power the Suffolk women's basketball team to a 69-41 victory over Pine Manor Wednesday night at Brunelli Court. The win, which capped off non-league action, marked head coach Ed Leyden's 400th at Suffolk University.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 69 | Pine Manor 41
RECORDS: Suffolk (16-5) | Pine Manor (1-15) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
A back-and-forth opening quarter got things going with five lead changes. Marissa Gudauskas' jumper with 2:15 to go put the blue-and-gold in front, 9-8. Over the final couple of minutes in the first Suffolk kept Pine Manor off the scoreboard and Hipwell put away a jump shot with less than a minute to go to give the visitors an 11-8 edge. 

The Gators jumped out in the second stanza to keep things interesting as a set of free throws from Aleah Lauti leveled the playing field before putting the hosts ahead by on, 12-11 at the 8:32 minute mark. The Rams found themselves down five a minute later. Pine Manor clutched onto the cushion until the midway point of the frame when a set of freebies from Natalie Fraioli jump started a 10-2 Rams' run that turned the tides in the visitors' favor at the intermission, 25-21. 

See-saw action began the third frame, but it was all Suffolk from there as it outscored PMC, 21-7, over the third set of 10 minutes to go up, 46-28.   

The Rams kept their foot on the gas pedal in the final frame going up by as many as 31, 67-36, after Emily Welling connected on a layup with 2:02 remaining in regulation. 

Suffolk maintained the margin the rest of the way to take the 69-41 decision. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• DiCecco has a day with a 24-point, 10-rebound effort. The floor general went 9-for-17 from the floor, 2-for-5 from three-point range and 4-for-4 at the charity stripe. She chipped in four assists and four steals as well.
• Hipwell posted an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double behind a 4-for-8 performance from the field to go along with one takeaway.
• Off the bench, Allie Lopes added nine points, five caroms and one block.
• Alexis Hackett took on the distribution role offensively with a team-high six handouts. She led the way on the glass as well with 14 rebounds to her credit, 12 of which came on the defensive end, and a pair of steals.
• Welling finished the night with eight points. The freshman did not miss from the floor, making each of her three field goals attempted and the pair of freebies she took. She pitched in three rebounds and one steal as well.
• Suffolk shot 38.2 percent (26-68) as a squad from the field and 92.3 percent (12-13) from the free throw line.
• The Rams had a monster night on the glass with a 20-point rebounding margin over the Gators, 58-38. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk won its 20th straight game versus Pine Manor to move to 20-9 all-time versus the Gators.
• Leyden won his 400th game at the helm of the Suffolk program. In 25 years on the Rams' bench as head coach Leyden has put together a 400-261 record (.605).
• DiCecco notched her second double-double of the season and fourth of her career.
• Hipwell had her third double-double of the year and fifth of her collegiate campaign.
• Samari Winklaar notched a personal-best two steals.
• Lauren Hill pulled down a career-high two boards.
• Lopes matched a personal-high one block.
• Welling registered a career-high eight points. 

POST-GAME PIC
 

COMING UP
Suffolk transitions back into conference contests Saturday, Feb. 2 when the Rams entertain Simmons at 1 p.m. at Regan Gymnasium. Prior to the tip-off, the blue-and-gold will honor the playing careers of its senior captains Marissa Gudauskas and Shannon Smith.