The Suffolk University men’s basketball team was handed a tough loss by nationally ranked Tufts University at home Nov. 19.
The Rams had momentum coming into the game as they had won their first two games of the season against UMaine-Farmington and Salem State University. Tufts also came into the game with the same confidence, as they had dominating wins against Bridgewater State University and Emerson College. The Jumbos also come into the game as one of the top Division III programs in the country, holding a #13 rank nationally.
At the start of the game, the Rams held their own, keeping the score within two possessions. Sophomore guard Nick Verdile energized the crowd early when he hit a three-pointer after executing a crossover that brought a Tufts player to his knees.
The Rams continued to keep the packed crowd entertained, as sophomore forward Greg Keane had an effortless dunk over one of Tufts’ centers. Despite these electric plays from Suffolk, Tufts maintained a consistent 3-4 lead for the majority of the half.
The team fought back and eventually diminished this lead, as they tied it at 26 when senior forward Jake Gomez had a steal that led to an assist on a fast break.
At the half, Suffolk faced a three point deficit, as the score settled at 37-34.
One of the key reasons why the Rams remained in the game was due to the performance of senior guard Keenan Robertson.
Fresh off of a Conference of New England player of the week award, Robertson continued his commanding play on the court, as he finished the half with 17 points, on 6-for-8 shooting with three 3-pointers in the first half.
The Rams continued to hang with the Jumbos for the majority of the second half, but things quickly went south.
After Suffolk senior Devin Dzikas hit three clutch free-throws to bring the score within one at the 11:23 mark, the Jumbos took over the game.
Tufts junior guard James Morakis had full control of the court in the second, as he had 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting and two assists in the half.
Led by Morakis, the Jumbos went on to outscore Suffolk by 20 points and win the game 76-57.
Suffolk head coach Jeff Juron was not surprised by the performance of Tufts in the second half, as he made it a point of emphasis for his team at halftime.
“It’s a great team and we knew we would have to play 40 minutes to beat them, and we didn’t. We really struggled to attack the zone and that was really the difference in the second half,” said Juron.
As Juron noted, Suffolk isn’t the only team that’s had to deal with Tufts’ performance in the second, as they came into the game outscoring their opponents by a total 94-56 in that half.
Senior guard and captain Cole LeVangie echoed the same sentiments as Juron, saying the team didn’t do everything they could in the second half.
“We lost our heads a little bit. Turning the ball over, complaining to the refs, not boxing out. Really just the simple things,” said LeVangie.
Despite the disappointment, LeVangie and the Rams know they need to shake this one off and come back stronger next time.
“We’ll look at it tomorrow and wipe it away,” said LeVangie.
The Rams will look to bounce back Friday Nov. 22 when they visit Colby-Sawyer College.
