Women’s Basketball Drops Heartbreaker in GNAC Semis at Emmanuel, 58-57

BOSTON – The GNAC Semifinal between the fourth-seeded Rams and top-seeded Saints came down to the final possession, but the ball would not fall for the Suffolk women's basketball team and Emmanuel took the 58-57 victory Thursday night at Andy Yosinoff Court. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 57 | Emmanuel 58
RECORDS: Suffolk (18-9) Emmanuel (20-7)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk's 14-13 edge after the first 10 minutes foreshadowed what would go-down as a thriller. The back-and-forth battle carried into the second stanza until the Saints strung together seven straight points before halftime to put the blue-and-gold in a 34-27 hole.  

Emmanuel made it an eight-point, 51-43, margin after three quarters. With a do-or-die tenacity, Suffolk came back. The Rams began the final frame with a 7-2 spurt to cut the gap to a single possession at 53-50 following a back-door layup by Jordan Hipwell with 6:36 to play.  

Both sides traded hoops to a 56-54 score with under two minutes to go when Jenni-Rose DiCecco buried a deep triple from the top of the key to give the Rams the first lead of the second half, 57-56, with 1:58 left on the clock. 

To keep the see-saw action going, on Emmanuel's ensuing offensive chance, the Saints' own trey was off the mark, but the put back by Kayla Weaver was good to flip the hosts on top once again, 58-57, with 1:30 remaining.  

After a Rams turnover the Saints had a chance to extend the margin by drawing a foul on with just one tic left on the shot clock. Both of Loredana D'Agostino's freebies were off the mark though and the one-point game held and the Rams got the ball back with 27 seconds to go.  

Out of a timeout, an isolation attempt for Hipwell down load did not work for the game-winner as D'Agostino made up for her missed free throws and knocked the Suffolk junior's shot attempt out of bounds. With the ball on their own baseline, Emmanuel's defense limited the Rams to a hail mary as time expired. The shot clanked the iron and ended Suffolk's season. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• DiCecco anchored Suffolk's scoring with a 16-point performance to go with five helpers, five caroms, two steals and one block. 
• Alexis Hackett left it all on the floor in her final collegiate contest. She matched her 13-point performance with a 13-rebound effort and chipped in three swats, and two helpers and takeaways, respectively. 
• Hipwell registered nine points on a 3-for-6 night from the field with seven boards and two dimes to her credit. 
• Gabriella DeComo helped the offense with eight points and one assist and added three rebounds and one steal to the defense. 
• Suffolk shot just 33.3 percent (21-63) from the floor, 30.4 percent (7-23) from three-point land and 57.1 percent (8-14) at the charity stripe. 
• The Rams outrebounded the Saints, 48-40.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Emmanuel met in the GNAC Tournament for the eighth time. 
• Hackett had her second straight double-double, ninth of the season and 33rd of her career.  

POST-GAME PIC