The Suffolk University Rams have continued their hot start to the season after a dominating win against the Curry College Colonels, 90-42 Saturday afternoon.
This comes after a three game road stint for the Rams where they went 3-1, most recently coming off a game at the University of New England, which they won 84-75.
When it came to Suffolk’s performance against Curry, they made sure to start fast. Through the first half, the Rams had complete control of the Colonels, dominating in the paint and from behind the three point line.
Suffolk’s three-point performance can be attributed to guards Nick Verdile and Keenan Robertson, who shot a combined 8-12 in the first half. Verdile was especially sharp, contributing five three-pointers of his own.
The Rams also had an advantage on the boards as captains Jake Gomez, Cole LeVangie and Robertson combined for 12 rebounds in the first half, outnumbering Curry 20-12.
The combination of these stats and the Rams’ tenacious defensive prowise, they took a daunting 52-18 lead into the half.
Suffolk continued their play into the second half, as they ended up outscoring Curry 38-24 in the second half to help secure the win.
Verdile continued his select shooting in the second half, but LeVangie also stepped up. They shot a combined 4-5 from the field which led to 11 points.
These second half leaders, followed by contributions from the team’s dynamic role players, helped Suffolk roll into this dominant win.
The Rams’ shooting performance should not only be attributed to the skill of their players, but the coaching from the bench, as head coach Jeff Juron has been preaching efficient shots.
“He’s really been telling us to turn good looks into great looks. He’s put an emphasis on our catch-and-shoot threes on the perimeter and our layups under the rim,” said Gomez.
This win was not only Suffolk’s second consecutive victory, but both wins have come after the team’s Thanksgiving break.
LeVangie recognized the importance of taking time to recharge during the break, and has been happy with how the team has responded, especially after this dominant performance.
“Coming back from Thanksgiving, there is always a conditioning factor so we need to focus on that a bit. When it comes to this game, we knew they were a little bit of a weaker team in our conference and they have some talented players, but everyone is trying to make a statement,” said LeVangie.
Suffolk did just that in this game, as they had their largest margin of victory for the season so far, winning by 47 points.
After two wins in a row, it seems the team has shaken off their tough road loss at Emerson, as Keenan Robertson knew how important it was to flush that loss quickly.
“Throughout my career, our coaching staff has always said ‘on to the next’ and I’ve kind of learned to embrace that. If something bad happens just move on and you’ll wake up the next day to everything being okay,” said Robertson.
It’s been inspiring to see Robertson act as both a leader and star on the team and this is nothing new to assistant coach Jack McDonnell. McDonnell graduated Suffolk last year and was a teammate of Robertson.
“I know this guy. I played with him. I roomed with him freshman year. This kid is a player of the year right here; he works really hard. I think people see Keenan on the floor and how well he plays, but they don’t really know the person, the friend, the teammate and this kid works his butt off everyday,” said McDonnell.
