Women’s Basketball Comes Up Short Against Endicott, 64-60

BOSTON – Suffolk women's basketball was outplayed out of the locker room by the Gulls which led to a 64-60 setback to Endicott in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Saturday afternoon at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 60 | Endicott 64
RECORDS: Suffolk (9-4, 3-3 CCC) | Endicott (7-6, 4-2 CCC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The lead switched four times and the score tied twice over the first 10 minutes, which Suffolk came out of ahead, 20-17. 

Back-to-back buckets from the blue-and-gold, one by Jenni-Rose DiCecco and another by Amanda DeAngelis, gave the hosts a seven-point, 24-17, lead one minutes into the second stanza, which forced Endicott into an early timeout. 

The Gulls got the margin down to one possession, 28-25, with 4:24 remaining before half time. It was all Suffolk from there as Marissa Gattuso's backdoor lay-up sparked a quarter-ending 13-4 run. That rally was capped off by a triple from Gabriella DeComo. The first hoop on either side from behind-the-arc all day sent the Rams into the intermission with a 41-29 advantage. 

Endicott commanded the third quarter from the get go to quickly trim the deficit down to a two-possession game, 45-39, at the 6:20 minute mark. From there, for every hoop the Rams put in, the Gulls got two. Emily Welling's freebie with 1:53 left of the third kept the blue-and-gold ahead by a handful, 48-44. 

It was all Endicott the rest of the way as the Gulls wrapped up the third with six unanswered to retake the lead, 50-48. 

Suffolk's scoring draught carried well into the fourth frame, which allowed Endicott to build a six-point edge, 54-48. Allie Lopes ended the Rams scoring lull, which lasted nearly six minutes, at the midway point of the final quarter of regulation to set-up a thrilling ending. 

Lopes knocked down a trey and DiCecco followed suit with a pair of free throws to make it a two-point game, 59-57, with 2:02 left on the clock.  

Endicott clung to the led thanks to its free throw shooting down the stretch. Quick shots by DiCecco help the Rams remain in the hunt, however, time played against the hosts and the Gulls walked away with the 64-60 victory.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• DiCecco finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one block and steal, respectively. 
• Lopes registered 11 points and three caroms. 
• Welling put together a nine-point, eight-board afternoon to go along with five blocks and one takeaway. 
• DeComo pitched in eight points, seven rebounds, two helpers and two steals. 
• Suffolk shot just 36.9 percent (34-65) from the field, 13.3 percent (2-15) from downtown and 58.8 percent (10-17) from the line. 
• Endicott, meanwhile, who was led by a game-high 18 points from Sarah Dempsey, went 74.1 percent (20-27) at the charity stripe. 
• The Rams held a slim edge on the glass, 47-46.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Endicott met as conference counterparts for the first time. 

POST-GAME PIC 
 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk gets its week on the road started at Salve Regina Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 5:30 p.m.