Women’s Basketball Entertains Emerson in 2023-24 Opener

SUFFOLK vs. EMERSON
Date Time Venue Video Stats Program Series Last Meeting   Last Suffolk Win Streak	Wednesday, Nov. 8 7:00 PM Smith Court Boston, Mass. CCC Sports Network GoSuffolkRams.com GoSuffolkRams.com 28-6 Nov. 17, 2022, W, 83-64 Same W2

BOSTON – Suffolk women's basketball pulls the curtain back on its 2023-24 campaign with a battle against its Boston Commons neighbor Emerson Wednesday, Nov. 8. The Rams and Lions will meet at 5 p.m. at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court. 

SOCIAL SAYINGS
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RAPID REWIND
Last season, Suffolk made its second straight trip to the CCC postseason and 27th consecutive conference playoff appearance after compiling a 13-12 overall regular-season record and an 8-10 league ledger in its second season in the CCC.  

As the seventh seed, the blue-and-gold fell at second seed UNE in the quarterfinals, 63-53.  

WELCOME BACK
Three everyday starters in Maddie Stewart (11.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg), Amanda DeAngelis (16.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg) and Colby Guinta (9.6 ppg) are back in blue-and-gold, along with consistent contributors Madi Mahoney (7.5 ppg) and Aisling Crowley (4.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.2 bpg).  

LOOK WHO'S NEW
Suffolk women's basketball's roster will have a new look in 2023-24 as eight fresh faces joined the fold over the offseason, head coach Ed Leyden unveiled.

MORE READING: Women's Basketball Adds Eight Newcomers for 2023-24 

GEOGRAPHY 101
Four players hail from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York, respectively, with one Rhode Island product. 

CLASS CATEGORIES
The Rams' baker dozen roster is primarily rookies with seven true freshmen. One sophomore, Colby Guinta, rounds out the underclassmen with the upperclassmen representing every class in two juniors, two graduate students and one senior, Amanda DeAngelis. 

POSITION PICTURE
Position wise, the Rams are evenly divided between six guards and six forwards with one swing player, sophomore Colby Guinta.

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Suffolk women's basketball's head coach Ed Leyden has unveiled that a pair of upperclassmen will take the reigns as co-captains for the 2023-24 season in graduate student Madi Mahoney and junior Maddie Stewart.  

MORE READING: Mahoney, Stewart to Captain Women's Basketball in 2023-24 

COACH'S CORNER
Ed Leyden returns to lead Suffolk for his 30th season. During his time on the court, Leyden has led the Rams to 27 straight conference post-season tournaments and has coached 13 of the Rams' 16 1,000-point scorers including the program's all-time leading scorer, Jenni-Rose DiCecco. 

Assisting the legendary head coach are assistant coaches Kathryn Mathieu and second-year assistant Brenna Dennelly.

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Suffolk women's basketball has been selected to finish sixth in the nine-team Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), per the league's preseason coaches' poll released Tuesday. 

MORE READING: Women's Basketball Picked Sixth in CCC Preseason Poll

LIFT THE LID

• Suffolk is 21-19 all-time in season openers and 17-12 under head coach Ed Leyden.
• Last season, the Rams fell to Bridgewater State, 63-51, in game one. 
• Suffolk will play on its home hardwood, Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court, for the sixth straight season debut and seventh time overall. 
• The blue-and-gold is 3-3 when flipping the page on the calendar at the friendly confines of the Ridgeway Building. 
• Suffolk is in search of its first season-opening win since a 74-42 decision over Emerson that began the 2021-22 campaign. 

LIONS LOOK
Emerson went 8-17 a year ago.  

The Lions top scoring threats from last season, Ella Bushee, 12.8 ppg, and Olivia Deslauries, 11.1 ppg, have returned. Bushee is the top rebounding threat back on Emerson's roster as well with 5.1 rpg to her credit. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• The Suffolk, Emerson series dates back to 1986-87. 
• A year ago, Suffolk took down Emerson, 83-64, to couple back-to-back wins together over the Lions. 
• The Rams hold a 28-6 all-time series lead over Emerson. 
• Suffolk is 15-3 when hosting the Lions. 
• At Emerson, Suffolk is 13-3. 
• The teams have needed overtime once to determine a winner. That game came in 1996-76 and the Rams won the OT outing, 39-36. 
• Suffolk boasts a 20-5 record versus Emerson under Ed Leyden's guidance. 

EYES ON THE GAME

SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
The Rams are idle until Saturday, Nov. 18 when they visit Eastern Nazarene for a 3 p.m. match-up.