Women’s Basketball Blocks Salve Regina, 72-57

NEWPORT, R.I. – The Rams swatted 11 Seahawks shots and Gabriella DeComo provided 21 points to propel Suffolk women's basketball past Salve Regina, 72-57, in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Wednesday night at the Rodgers Recreation Center. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 72 | Salve Regina 57
RECORDS: Suffolk (10-4, 4-3 CCC) | Salve Regina (6-7, 5-2 CCC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Salve Regina scored first, but the next 4:07 was all blue-and-gold as the Rams ran off 13 straight points, eight from Emily Welling alone, to make things lopsided, 13-2, at the midway point.  

The team's traded points over the next five minutes, which allowed Suffolk to sit in front by a dozen, 22-14, at the end of the first frame.  

DeComo went hoop-for-hoop with the Seahawks to start the second to keep it a double-digit distance, 30-19. Salve Regina surged back, outscoring the Rams, 9-4, to wrap up the action before intermission. That rally made things interesting at the half and sliced Suffolk's lead to 34-28.   

DeComo controlled the pace in Suffolk's favor out of the locker room to restore a 10-point advantage for the Rams, 38-28. That did not last long as the Seahawks used back-to-back buckets to cut the gap down to seven, which forced Ed Leyden to use a timeout 2:25 into the third quarter. 

The huddle proved to help Suffolk as it rebuilt a 10-point cushion and extended that to 13, 49-36, at the 4:43 minute mark after Allie Lopes scored two straight hoops. 

From there, the Rams responded to every Salve Regina score to maintain the margin and carry a 55-43 cushion into the fourth frame.  

Suffolk continued to push the limits to begin the final quarter. The Rams strung together a 12-4 stretch to make it a 20-point game, 68-48, with 5:36 left on the clock.  

Despite outscoring the blue-and-gold 9-4 the rest of the way, Suffolk's lead was too much for Salve Regina to make up.   

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• DeComo finished with 21 points on a 9-for-12 showing from floor in 21 minutes of action. The senior added five caroms, four helpers, one steal and one block. 
• Lopes added 13 points on a 6-for-12 performance from the field to go along with eight boards, two swats and one handout. 
• Welling registered 10 points, six rebounds, five blocks and one dime and one takeaway. 
• Jenni-Rose DiCecco chipped in an all-around effort with seven points, five boards, four assists, three steals and one block. 
• Amanda DeAngelis added 10 points, five boards and two blocks off the bench. 
• Suffolk shot 41.9 percent (31-74) on the night and 72.7 percent (8-11) from the free throw line. 
• The Rams outrebounded the Seahawks, 43-37.  

NOTEWORTHY

• The Rams defeated Salve Regina for the third straight meeting to take a 6-5 lead in the all-time series that dates back to 1984-85. 
• The three wins in a row over the Seahawks marks the most consecutive victories in the all-time series in program history. 
• Suffolk moved to 2-2 at Salve Regina. 
• DeComo matched a personal-best 21 points. 
• Welling matched a career-high five blocks.  

POST-GAME PIC
 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk heads to Western New England Saturday, Jan. 22 for a 1 p.m. CCC clash.