Suffolk University men’s basketball traveled to the University of Maine at Farmington Nov. 8 for their first game of the 2025-26 season, resulting in a 75-72 win over the Beavers.
This matchup is the first game of the Rams’ 80th season as well as the Rams’ first time playing at the Beavers’ home court. The Rams battled the Beavers for the third time in program history, increasing their all-time record to 2-1. The win starts the Rams’ 25-game season with a 1-0 record after finishing 20-8 and falling just short of the championship last season.
After two missed layups by both teams in the first minute, scoring began with a layup delivered by freshman Marquis White. The Rams quickly built the score to 8-0 with two successful three-point shots from junior captain Declan Davis and freshman James Jones. The Rams held the lead over the Beavers for the entirety of the first half, pausing play at 41-34.
In the first half, the Rams gained a 10-point margin, 25-15, in the 10th minute after a successful three-point shot from junior captain Nick Verdile, who finished the game with 14 points. This will be Verdile’s first season as captain alongside fellow junior Declan Davis and the team’s only senior, Connor Strickland.
“Declan is our biggest energy guy. I would say he is the most vocal in practice and in games,” said Verdile. “Connor is kind of a leader when it comes to huddles and calls. And I kind of lead more by example.”
The three kept the Rams in a steady lead, but the Beavers were able to lessen the gap by the end of the first half, and still trailed the Rams 41-34. At the end of the half, the Rams maintained a seven-point margin with 22 rebounds and three steals.
In the second half, the Rams were able to keep a two-possession lead within the first five minutes. The Rams gained 13 points before the Beavers evened the score at 52 in the 13th minute. With his 14th and 15th points of the game, White put the Rams back in the lead 54-52, followed by a successful three-point shot from junior Harrison Neil.
The two teams exchanged shots, keeping the scoring margin within five points until the final buzzer, and another successful game for the Rams, 75-72. The Rams contributed just three steals and seven fewer overall rebounds than in the first half. The Rams also doubled their three turnovers from the first half to seven in the second.
“It was a nice win, but there’s a lot we can work on, so we’re gonna get back to practice and work on some of the things that we didn’t really excel at,” said Verdile. “We got good shots all game, just a couple of possessions that we could be more efficient on.”
All five starters, Greg Keane, Declan Davis, Nick Verdile, Marquis White and James Jones put up points for the Rams, with Jones and White at the top of the chart with 20 and 15. The freshmen each played 36 minutes, logging nine rebounds for Jones and three for White.
“It was a close game, but we stayed composed and executed towards the end to secure the win,” said White. “I wasn’t too focused on points scored but to know that I scored the second most on the team is encouraging and will help my confidence as the season goes on.”
White is one of nine true freshmen joining the Rams this season. White and Jones, along with fellow freshmen Hatcher Nordquist and Aston Whittingham, secured their first collegiate minutes against the Beavers. They will all turn their attention towards hosting Colby-Sawyer for their first home game of the season, Nov. 12.
“I am feeling confident and good ahead of the game on Wednesday. It’s going to be fun to play in front of our home crowd and for the fans to be cheering for us,” said White.
Including Wednesday, the Rams will play 24 more regular-season games, 16 of them being CNE matchups.
