Connell, Hot Shooting Men's Basketball Cruises Past Suffolk

BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore Jack Connell (Walpole, Mass.) poured in a career-high 33 points , leading four student-athletes in double figures as the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's basketball team shot over 60 percent from the floor to defeat Suffolk, 84-68.

Connell's career high saw him make 13 of 17 field goals, including going 7-for-8 from behind the arc, and marked the second time this season he has scored 30 or more points.

RECORDS:
Suffolk (12-7, 7-5 CCC)
Wentworth (11-8, 6-6 CCC)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

WENTWORTH LEADING SCORERS:  Jack Connell, 33; Jack Schaake, 11; Tyler Stewart, 11; Sam Swift, 10
WENTWORTH LEADING REBOUNDERS:  Schaake, 6; Stewart, 6; Thomas Hacker, 5
WENTWORTH ASSIST LEADERS:  Stewart, 5; Schaake, 4; Connell, 4

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After falling behind, 3-2, to open the game, Wentworth went on an 8-2 run, taking a 10-5 lead on a Connell three pointer with 17:54 left. A 5-2 Rams spurt tied the game at 12-all on a three pointer from sophomore Cole LeVangie (Whitman, Mass.).
• The Leopards used a 14-4 run to take a 26-16 lead on a junior Sam Goy layup with 7:46 left before senior Aidan Sullivan (Scituate, Mass.) ended the run with a three, cutting the lead to 26-19, 36 seconds later. Two free throws from sophomore Tyler Stewart (East Taunton, Mass.) with 2:59 left gave Wentworth a double-digit lead for the second time in the half (35-24) and Connell's fifth three of the half gave the Black & Gold a 38-25 lead at the break. Wentworth shot 55.6 percent from the floor and held the hosts to just 28.6 percent over the first 20 minutes.
• Wentworth took a 16-point (54-38) lead with 14:24 left when senior Conor Rubenskas (Bridgewater, Mass.) converted a three-point play and held the same lead when senior Jack Schaake (Hampton, N.H.) converted a three-point play of his own just 25 seconds later.
• The Leopards increased their lead to 21 (69-48) on a Rubenskas three with 10:05 left, however, Suffolk used a 14-0 run to close the gap to seven after graduate student William Rowe (Reston, Va.) hit two free throws. Connell drained a shot from behind the arc with 5:41 left to end the run and put the Black & Gold back ahead by double digits (72-62).
• Wentworth extended its lead to 18 and held the Rams scoreless for two and a half minutes to pull away. The Leopards shot 65.5 percent from the floor in the second half.
• In addition to Connell's 33 points, Schaake and Stewart each had 11 points and six rebounds, while senior Sam Swift (Arlington, Mass.) added 10.

SERIES NOTES:

• Today was the 19th all-time meeting between the two teams Suffolk leads, 11-8.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth is at the University of New England Wednesday night.

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