Falling by a score of 64-59, sixth-seeded Suffolk University women’s basketball were eliminated from the playoffs by third-seeded Roger Williams University in a back-and-forth game on the road.
After ending the regular season with a 13-12 record, Suffolk found themselves travelling to Rhode Island to match up with 18-8 Roger Williams.
The underdog Rams got off to a fiery start in the first quarter, outscoring Roger Williams 16-4. The defense held strong, at one point keeping Roger Williams scoreless for nine straight minutes.
“They were playing terrific defense, showing a lot of pride guarding them, and we just came out really hard. We wanted to win the first quarter and show we were going to compete with them, and the kids did that from the opening tap,” said head coach Ed Leyden.
After holding a 10-point lead going into halftime, things began to collapse for the Rams in a disastrous third quarter. Roger Williams outscored the Rams 21-8 in the third, swinging the Rams into a 3-point deficit heading into the final quarter.
“I think we were fatigued and they’re a very good team who executed really well,” said Leyden. “We knew that they were going to have a run and that their backs were against the wall. Basketball is a game of runs, they had runs, were a very good and deep team, and they’re very well coached. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to them.”
The Rams appeared to run out of gas in the third quarter, shooting just 3-for-13 from the field and turning the ball over five times. Roger Williams capitalized on the Rams’ rough third quarter, knocking down nearly half of their shots to take the lead away from Suffolk.
“Our shot selection wasn’t great and I thought that [Roger Williams] did a really good job as far as getting their best players the ball and rebounding,” said Leyden.
Despite their best efforts in the fourth, Suffolk was stifled in their attempt to take a late victory, falling in a five-point loss.
Junior guard and forward Colby Guinta led Suffolk with a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double in the loss. Graduate forward Amanda DeAngelis had a double-double of her own, tacking on 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Leyden noted how this high-stakes game could provide a good experience for his relatively young team.
“We have two seniors and a grad student but for others, this was their first experience in the playoffs and we learned a lot. I think people should be proud of us. I think the kids gave me everything they had,” said Leyden.
Of the 13 players on the roster, nine of them are either freshmen or sophomores, and the team looks to be getting even younger next year with upcoming graduations.
With the season now over, Leyden reminisced about his time coaching this young team during a year full of ups and downs.
“It was a lively bunch of really good kids. I enjoyed being with them, it was the best part of my day. They motivated me to work as hard as I possibly could,” said Leyden.
Although the game didn’t go as they wanted, Leyden spoke about how proud he was of the team for matching up with a talented Roger Williams squad.
“A coach couldn’t ask for anything more,” said Leyden. “Everyone showed up, everyone fought like hell and played at a high level. As a coach, what else could you ask for?”
