The Suffolk University men’s basketball team opened their season on Nov. 9 as they secured a win at home in an inter-conference matchup against the University of Maine at Farmington.
Coming off a dazzling run in last year’s Conference of New England tournament, where they fell just short of Roger Williams in the championship game, Suffolk is expected to have another solid season this year. They ranked fifth in the CNE’s preseason poll.
Their opponent, UMaine Farmington, is also expected to have a strong season as they ranked second in the North Atlantic Conference preseason poll.
This is the second time these two teams have faced each other in their program’s history. The first matchup came in November 2018, when UMaine Farmington overcame Suffolk in overtime, 94-91.
Early in the game, Farmington shot well from behind the arc while Suffolk played well in transition and displayed good ball movement. An early highlight was a turnover forced by sophomore forward Owen Walters, which he followed up with a fierce dunk on the other end.
Suffolk battled late in the first half, with help from back-to-back layups from senior Keenan Robertson and Matt Draheim, and a three-pointer from Cole LeVangie. The Rams gained a 33-29 lead before Farmington called a time-out.
That time-out proved to be more beneficial for the Rams than the Beavers. Suffolk closed the half on a 9-5 run to end the half and took a six-point lead into the locker room, 42-36.
Robertson led the team in points with 13, as Nick Verdile and Danny Yardemian were also in double digits.
The team carried their momentum into the second half, as they extended their lead to double digits, which reached as high as 15 points.
The key to Suffolk’s dominance in the second half came from their enhanced defensive intensity and Verdile’s hot three-point shooting, as he went three for four from beyond the arc.
Suffolk maintained their larger lead until the five-minute mark, but it evaporated quickly as the Beavers stormed back and cut the lead to as close as two points with 23 seconds remaining.
The Rams would go on to survive after clutch free throws from Robertson and Yardemian and locked down their first win of the season at home.
Suffolk head coach Jeff Juron was glad the team secured the win at home to start the season off on the right foot.
When asked about some of Suffolk’s missed opportunities on the offensive end in the first half, Juron wasn’t concerned.
“We may not have converted on many of them but I’m happy with the looks we got in the first half. We found good shots, but things just weren’t falling for us. It’s very early so we’re still figuring out our roles,” said Juron.
Captains Cole LeVangie and Jake Gomez had key performances, combining for a total of 10 points and 13 rebounds, and were also happy to walk away with a win against another team on their level.
Gomez was proud of the team’s effort in the game and agreed with coach Juron’s sentiments that they should keep the same game plan on offense.
“We crushed them on the rebounds tonight. At halftime, coach emphasized we were getting great looks and we just wanted to keep doing that. I don’t necessarily think the score showed the whole story in the first because we were getting to where we want but sometimes you don’t hit the shot,” said Gomez.
LeVangie thinks the team has a lot to take away from this first game but still recognizes it’s the first step toward this team’s goal.
“It’s typical but a win is a win. There’s some good areas and some bad areas, but we know we gotta work on and we know we have a tough road ahead,” said LeVangie.
The Rams didn’t only receive contributions from those on the court, but they also received some new contributions on the bench.
This offseason Juron announced the hiring of two assistant coaches at Suffolk, Stephen Fabrizio and Jack McDonnell.
Fabrizio came from Emmanuel College, where he was an assistant for one of the best programs in the conference. While there, he was integral to the team’s day-to-day operations and was their head video coordinator.
Fabrizio also played college basketball at Emerson College from 2019-2022, where he was a member of the college’s DIII NCAA tournament men’s basketball team.
When he made his decision to come to Suffolk, one of the integral reasons why he came was because of coach Juron.
“As a player, I admired [Juron’s] coaching style and the way he seemed to communicate to his players. Once the opportunity presented itself for me to come here and grow under him it felt like a good fit,” said Fabrizio.
When it comes to McDonnell, he’s a much more familiar face, as he played three seasons for the Rams. He was an integral piece of the fabric of last season’s CNE championship tournament run team.
McDonnell had decided he was done playing the game he loved, but that didn’t mean he wanted to leave it behind.
“After the championship game last year, I sat in coach Juron’s office and I told him I was done playing basketball but I still want to be around the sport. I love this team and I love this university, and if this is the way I can be a part of that, I’ll do it,” said McDonnell.
The Rams will look to ride this momentum to a winning streak Nov. 12 as they visit Salem State University at 5 p.m.
