One round down, two more to go.
Suffolk University men’s basketball hosted the Wentworth Institute of Technology Leopards in the first round of the Conference of New England playoffs Feb. 25, with the Rams pulling away late to secure a 87-78 win.
In a game that was never low on energy and intensity, the three-seeded Rams and sixth-seeded Leopards traded baskets for the majority of the 40 minutes of action. Ultimately, the Rams pulled away in the final 10 minutes despite a few Wentworth rallies to secure their spot in the second round.
Both teams started strong on the defensive end in the first half, with every basket made and every defensive stop by Suffolk being matched by the Leopards immediately after. Wentworth took a 36-33 lead into halftime as a result, led by eight points from both Tyler Stewart and Jack Connell.
During the break, Suffolk head coach Jeff Juron emphasized the team’s play on offense as a key to how they would turn the game around.
“We were fine defensively, they’re tough to guard,” said Juron. “On the offensive end, we needed to get the ball moving a little bit more. We needed guys to be shot ready when they were open and ready to stick the shots.”
Sophomore guard Nick Verdile was one of the players who got shot ready in the second half. With just three points in the first half, Verdile erupted for 24 points in the second half on 6-for-7 three point shooting and 7-for-8 on field goal attempts. He chipped in a pair of steals to finish with 27 points, two steals, two rebounds and two assists.
“I think he shot it with more confidence in the second half,” said Juron. “He had the same looks in the first half but he was a little gun shy, he was pump faking instead of letting it go. He didn’t in the second half, thankfully.”
In addition to Verdile, seniors Cole LeVangie and Keenan Robertson had their share of big moments in the second half. LeVangie got nine points from three point attempts and Robertson added 14 points to his line to finish with 22 on the day. Danny Yardemian joined Verdile, Robertson and LeVangie in double figures with a 14 point, eight rebound and five assist game.
Greg Keane and Devin Dzikas were the only players used off the bench by Juron as the rotation gets shortened come playoff time. Keane logged nine minutes and Dzikas had 16. Robertson and Yardemian played the entire 40 minutes while LeVangie played 37 minutes, Verdile 32 and Jake Gomez 26.
With the win, the Rams now turn their attention to the CNE semifinals Feb. 27. The Rams will hit the road to face two seed Endicott College, who earned a first round bye as a top two finisher in the conference. The Rams and Gulls have battled twice this season, with Suffolk winning 77-73 in the first meeting in December before Endicott won 82-62 Feb. 8.
