Women’s Basketball Holds Off Colby Sawyer, 63-54

NEW LONDON, N.H. – The Suffolk women's basketball team kept Cobly Sawyer's comeback at bay to take down the Chargers, 63-54, Saturday afternoon at the Dan & Kathleen Hogan Sports Center.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 63 | Colby Sawyer 54
RECORDS: Suffolk (18-5, 9-1 GNAC) | Colby Sawyer (14-9, 7-3 GNAC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The sophomore, senior tandem of Jenni-Rose DiCecco and Marissa Gudauskas powered Suffolk to a first-frame 20-17 edge. The pair each provided eight points apiece to keep the visitors ahead after the first 10 minutes. 

It was a sluggish opening of the second period as neither team connected for the first 2:15 of action. The Chargers were the first to get on the board to make it a one-point, 20-19, game. The Rams responded with back-to-back buckets from Jordan Hipwell and DiCecco. Suffolk slowly built a double-digit distance, which came behind a set of freebies from DiCecco with 2:10 to play before the break.

A triple from Rachel LaSaracina gave the blue-and-gold its largest lead of the first half, 38-25, 30 seconds later, but the Chargers cut things back to nine, 38-29, with less than one minute on the clock. DiCecco regained a double figure advantage for the Rams as she put away a pair of free throws at the 12-second mark to make it a 40-29 Suffolk score.

Out of the intermission, DiCecco buried a bucket from behind-the-arc to push the Rams' cushion to 14. After DiCecco's long ball, Suffolk's offense went scoreless for nearly eight minutes, which allowed Colby Sawyer to pull within five, 43-38.

Hipwell ended the draught at the 2:39 minute mark and Suffolk outscored the Chargers, 10-6 over the final two minutes to take a 53-45 advantage into the final 10 minutes of regulation.  

The Chargers looked to make a move in the fourth quarter, but for every hoop the hosts made, the Rams responded to remain in front and take the 63-54 conference decision.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• DiCecco finished the day with a game-high 28 points behind a 7-for-16 effort from the field, 6-for-11 showing from three-point land and a perfect 8-for-8 performance at the charity stripe. She pulled down five rebounds, set-up four shots and had one steal to her credit as well.
• Hipwell shot 70 percent (7-10) on the day to provide 15 points. The sophomore was one carom shy of a double-double effort with a team-best nine boards to go along with a pair of helpers and one takeaway.
• Gudauskas rounded out the Rams' in double figures with 13 points thanks to a 5-for-7 performance from the floor, including a 3-for-4 showing from downtown. She added seven rebounds, three dimes and one steal.
• LaSaracina was a five-point, three-rebound, two-assist, one-steal spark off the bench.
• Suffolk shot 41.2 percent (21-51) from the field on the afternoon and went 10-for-15 at the line.
• The Chargers outrebounded the Rams, 37-32. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk defeated Colby Sawyer for the first time since 2015 to move to 9-14 all-time versus the Chargers.
• Gudauskas had a career-high seven rebounds. 

POST-GAME PIC
 

COMING UP
Suffolk caps off its home slate Tuesday, Feb. 12 when it entertains city and conference rival Emmanuel. The Rams and Saints clash at 5 p.m. to open a Suffolk basketball doubleheader with the men's team taking on Lasell in the nightcap at 7 p.m.