The Suffolk University basketball teams faced off against Gordon College Feb. 11. The women’s team lost a hard-fought battle, falling short just 58-55, leaving their record at 12-11. The men triumphed over Gordon with a score of 75-60,  giving them an overall record of 15-8. Both teams only have two regular season games left until playoffs. 

The women played first, with starters senior Madi Mahoney, junior captain Amanda DeAngelis, sophomore Maddie Stewart, freshman Colby Guinta and graduate student captain Katie Kirsch leading the team to a 16-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. Kirsch proved resourceful by showing great defensive skills in the paint right from the start of the game. First off the bench was freshman Ellie Moffat, who also showed her skills right off the bat by sinking a 3-pointer from the corner. 

Kirsch spoke about the team’s experience throughout the game, especially in the first half. 

“I think we played really well in the first half, we were passing the ball, shooting well and our zone was stopping their offense,” she said. 

It was apparent that this game was going to be a close one, with the Rams leading 28-26 at the half. Mahoney immensely helped this lead by dropping multiple 3-pointers within a matter of minutes. 

Kirsch said big plays throughout the game came from the team working together as well as players excelling in their own ways. 

“Madi Mahoney and Maddie Stewart played really well for us. Mahoney had some clutch drives and Stewart had some big threes,” she said. “Ellie Moffat also had a big three in the first half that 

gave us a lot of energy and momentum.”

This tense battle did not change by the third quarter with the score a nerve-racking 45-44, with Suffolk still ahead. By this point, the Rams had five team fouls, with Gordon having three. 

The Rams could not hold onto the lead and ultimately lost a very close game. Stewart led the team in points with 17, while DeAngelis grabbed 14 rebounds and Kirsch led the team with 3 assists.  

Head Coach Ed Leyden commented on Kirsch’s performance, as well as the rest of the team’s hard efforts in this close game. 

“I thought we played well against a very good team, although we did have a hard time scoring at the end. Kirsch did a great job on Gordon’s Madison Wynbeek, she made her take tough, guarded shots and kept her off the offensive boards,” he said.

Leyden said while the team didn’t triumph, the team has worked to improve their gameplay.

“The girls have worked hard on team defense and defensive rebounding,” he added.

The men’s game immediately followed, with starters senior Aidan Sullivan, sophomores Cole LeVangie and Keenan Roberston and graduate students Conor Creane and Will Rowe taking the floor in the beginning. The Rams had an 11-point lead at two separate times during the first half. By the half, Gordon had found its rhythm and almost caught up to the Rams, making the score 38-32. 

Head Coach Jeffery Juron spoke about parts of the game he and his team have worked to improve as the season has progressed. 

“We’ve really emphasized defending, rebounding and reducing turnovers,” he said. 

Creane lit up the second half, dropping multiple 3-pointers in a matter of minutes, helping advance the score to 63-44 with 10 minutes left. With eight fouls against Suffolk and five against Gordon, the score steadily increased on both sides, making it 69-50 with five minutes to go. 

Sullivan said trust within his team was one of the biggest factors in the outcome of this game. 

“We stuck together and were locked in on the defensive end of the floor, which led us to making shots on the offensive side,” Sullivan said.

The Rams pulled through victoriously, beating Gordon in the end. And, of course, it would not be a true win without a slam dunk from Rowe. 

When asked what is next for the team looking towards playoffs, Juron said the team is just focusing on keeping up the hard work they have shown so far this season. 

“We just want to keep improving each day and be playing our best basketball when the CCC tournament starts,” he said.

Both the men’s and women’s team face off against Western New England Wednesday night.

Follow Tracy on Twitter @tracylacara4