Rams Pull Away Late for 81-65 Win Over Vikings

SALEM, Mass. -- Allie Lopes (Scituate, Mass.) led all scorers with 20 points while Emily Welling (Warwick, N.Y.) - 12 points and 15 rebounds and Natalie Fraioli (Sutton, Mass.) - 12 points and 11 reounds each recored a double-double to lead Suffolk to a 81-65 win over Salem State at Twohig Gymnasium on Monday evening. The Rams improve to 2-1 while the Vikings slip to 0-3.

Gabby Torres (Peabody, Mass.) and Nicole Freddo (Marblehead, Mass.) each tallied 14 points for Salem State. Julia Mattera (Arlington, Mass.) also reached double digits with 11 points and Liz Zaiter (Peabody, Mass.) produced nine points and seven rebounds to go with a pair of blocks.

Torres  had nine first quarter points, hitting all three attempts from behind the arc to help stake Salem State to a 17-13 lead at the end of one. Suffolk shot just 4-19 (21.1%) from the field, but seven offensive boards helped keep the Rams within striking distance. A three by Torres gave the Vikings an early 6-4 lead midway through the quarter. Salem State increased the lead to 12-8 after a jumper by Mattera.  Trailing by five, four free throws by Suffolk's Amanda DeAngelis (Londonderry, N.H.) and another by Gabriella DeComo (Portsmouth, R.I.) tied the game at 13-all. However, a three from Freddo and a free throw by Katie Wallace (Peabody, Mass.) put Salem State up by four as the quarter expired. Salem State shot 4-for-7 (57.1%) from three-point range in the opening period. 

Neither team built a lead larger than three points in the second quarter. Consecutive three's by Suffolk's Lopes  tied the game at 19-19 with 7:12 remaining. Lopes made her third three of the quarter, giving the Rams a 24-23 advantage with 2:57 left before halftime, their first lead since opening the game up 4-0 early in the first. A jumper from the elbow by Sydney Richard (Hooksett, N.H.) kept the Rams in front 28-27 as Suffolk headed into halftime with a one-point lead. Torres led all scorers with 13 first-half points. The Rams held a 28-16 advantage on the glass, including 15 offensive boards.

Suffolk hit their offensive stride in the third period, shooting nearly 50% from the field (11-23), led by Lopes, who had eight points and Jenni-Rose DiCecco (Falmouth, Mass.), who dished out seven of her game-high 10 assists in the quarter.  A 14-4 run by Suffolk propelled the Rams to a 42-31 lead following a layup by Welling. Suffolk held Salem State without a point over the final 2:47 of the third as the Rams outscored Salem State 24-14 in the quarter to take a 52-41 lead into the fourth. 

The Rams maintained a double digit lead in the final quarter, building a 14-point advantage after a three by Rose DiCecco made the score 59-45 with 7:18 remaining. The Vikings battled back to cut the deficit in half after a layup by Freddo made the score 59-52 with 5:50 left on the clock. However, Suffolk pulled away late as the Vikings went cold from the floor, converting just once from the field over the final four minutes of the game. 

The Rams outrebounded Salem Sate 56-32, which included 24 offensive rebounds leading to 19 second chance points. Suffolk ended the game 31-74 (41.9%) from the field. Salem State shot 21-60 (35.0%) for the game.