Men's Basketball Sinks Suffolk

BOSTON, Mass. – An extremely efficient day from the floor, including a 75 percent success rate (18-24 FG) in the first half, guided the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's basketball team to a tight Conference of New England triumph over the Suffolk Rams by an 83-76 score.

In their efficient first half, the Black & Gold also shot 66.7 percent from three-point land. Through 40 minutes of play, Wentworth shot 62.7 percent from the floor.

The Leopards' second straight conference win boosts their record to 4-11 and 3-5 in CNE play. Suffolk falls to 9-6 and 5-3 in conference action.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The two teams swapped scores to open the contest, with the Rams taking a 6-4 lead on a layup by Danny Yardemian before a 5-0 run for the Leopards capped by a Jack Connell make marked a 9-6 score. After Connell made a free throw at 10-8, a three by Nathan Brinkman began a 7-0 run for Wentworth, extending their lead to 17-8.
• A make by Keenan Robertson started a 13-4 run for the Rams, eventually knotting the score at 21-all with the help of a three by Nick Verdile, before a trifecta by Russell Dolabany marked a 24-21 score. Another Verdile three later cut the deficit at 26-24 before a Jayden Williams three helped push the game to 29-24. Robertson dropped five straight points, helping knot the score at 29-all, before four points from Connell took part in a 6-3 run for Wentworth to raise the score to 35-32.
• A three-point play by Robertson later gave the Rams a 38-35 lead before a jumper by Tyler Stewart capped a 4-0 run and gave Wentworth a 39-38 edge. The two teams swapped scores to end the half, with a Connell jumper giving the Leopards a 43-40 lead with five seconds left.
• The two teams swapped points to begin the second half until a Verdile three knotted the game at 47 aside. From there, three-point plays by Stewart and Williams helped Wentworth set out to a 53-47 lead before the two teams again traded scores, with a Connell layup later marking a 59-51 lead. A 6-0 run featuring Verdile and Robertson helped Suffolk back in at 59-57 before threes by Brinkman and Dolabany extended the Leopards' lead to 65-57.
• Verdile and Brinkman traded threes, working the score to 68-60, before two free throws by Robertson later closed Suffolk's gap at 69-66. Later, a three-point play by Stewart would again pull Wentworth away at 74-68 before three-point plays by Connell and Stewart later stretched Wentworth's lead to 80-70. Yardemian sank two layups in part of a 6-2 run for the Rams, but it'd fall short as the Leopards held on by an 83-76 score on one final free throw make.
• Connell led all scorers with 24 points (11-19 FG) and dished out five assists. Robertson's efficient day (23 points, 9-15 FG) led the Rams, while behind them two was Stewart (21 points, 8-9 FG) and Yardemian (20, 9-13 FG).

SERIES NOTES:

• Being the 23^rd all-time meeting between the two teams, the Leopards have taken 10 of the last 13 matchups with the Rams.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth travels to the University of New England on Tuesday.

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