After a highly intense game, Suffolk University men’s basketball is on the cusp of a championship.
The third-seeded Rams traveled to face the second-seeded Endicott College Gulls in the Conference of New England semifinals Feb. 27, using a second half surge to take down the Gulls with a 96-85 win.
Suffolk advances to the CNE championship game for the second year in a row as a result of the win. The Rams improved to 3-0 against the Gulls in the postseason and are 5-3 overall in the CNE tournament.
Endicott jumped out to an early 11 point lead before a 14-2 Suffolk run put them ahead 19-18 halfway through the first half.
“We knew that they can get really hot from the floor and make quick scoring runs, but because of the way they play they can also have droughts,” said Suffolk head coach Jeff Juron. “We didn’t want to get too high or low if they were to make an initial run like they did, and just stick to our game plan on the offensive end and trust that it would be all right by halftime.”
The teams continued to trade baskets for the rest of the first half, with seven lead changes and five tie scores leading to a 45-45 score at halftime.
Juron felt good about where the team was at halftime after an intense first half.
“It was a loud atmosphere, there was a big crowd. If you can get it to halftime even or close, you feel like you’re in position to get it in the second half. We felt good about where we were at halftime,” said Juron.
Through the first 5 minutes of the second half, the game remained close before a 11-2 Suffolk run gave them a 10 point lead with just over 10 minutes to go. After Endicott attempted a comeback, a few timely three pointers by the Suffolk offense restored the double digit lead and led to the 11 point win.
After a dominating first round game against the Wentworth Institute of Technology, sophomore guard Nick Verdile had another strong game. He shot 6-for-9 on the night, with five three pointers contributing to a 19 point game.
The star of the show for the Rams was senior Keenan Robertson. He shot 15-for-23 on the game, including 10 three pointers to accumulate a 43 point game. He is the first player in Suffolk history to score at least 40 points and make at least 10 three pointers in a single game.
“He’s having a great senior year, and he’s really developed this year as a leader,” said Juron. “He’s obviously an outstanding player that scores a lot and rebounds a lot, but he really developed as a leader this year and that’s been the biggest difference for him.”
Robertson’s 43 point performance ties him for the 11th highest point performance in a game this season among Division III players. His 10 three pointers made are tied for second most among DIII players in a single game.
“He’s played really well in that gym over the years and against Endicott in particular, so it was not surprising. I already knew that he had it going,” said Juron.
Up next for the Rams is a showdown with top-seeded Western New England University in the CNE championship game March 1. The Rams have won both games against the Golden Bears this season, outscoring them by a combined 135-124.
“They’re a really big team, they’re a really physical team and they’re a great defensive team,” said Juron. “We’re gonna have to be really good offensively. Defensively, we’re gonna have to be really physically tough. They throw the ball inside a lot, they rebound the ball really well and they attack you with their bigs. We’re gonna have to be ready for a really physical 40 minutes.”
