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BOSTON – Suffolk University saw it's late 17-point lead get trimmed to just five in the game's final minute, but still held on for a 75-67 win over the University of New England in a No. 3/No. 6 matchup in the first round of the Conference of New England Men's Basketball Championship Wednesday night on Smith Court.
The third-seeded Rams now set their sights on a semifinal date with No. 2 Western New England on Friday, Feb. 27. Nichols took down Roger Williams in Wednesday's other first-round tilt, setting up a semifinal between the fourth-seeded Bison and No. 1 Endicott.
The Nor'easters, having appeared in the postseason for the first time since 2021-22, end the 2025-26 campaign with a 12-14 overall record.
A hot-shooting Nick Verdile was the catalyst for the Rams, going 8-for-11 from the floor while dropping a game-high 20 points. James Jones pulled down a game-best 11 rebounds, along with his 10 points, to tally the game's only double-double.
Jayden Thornton led a balanced UNE scoring contingent with 15, followed by
Adrian Torres and
Adam Lux, who finished with 14 apiece.
Kha Cao Ra James was a fourth in double figures with 12 points.
Suffolk turned in a hot start from the perimeter, going 7-for-15 from deep during the first half, helping the hosts achieve a 41-28 halftime lead. That cooled down to 2-for-11 in the second half, but the Rams still had the upperhand in outside shooting – they finished 9-for-26 while the Nor'easters were 7-for-30.
A UNE deficit that stood as tall as 16 late in the first half dipped to six (43-37) with just over four minutes gone in the second half. Suffolk regained control, eventually closing in on a 20-point lead with under five minutes remaining, before the Nor'easters put together a 14-3 run on their way back within five points with under a minute remaining. Thornton hit a 3-pointer to cap that stretch, Suffolk turned it over on the ensuing possession, but UNE missed the mark on a pair of 3-point attempts that would have cut the lead to two. The Rams instead had the chance to knock down a pair of free throws on the other end, which they did, hiking the lead to seven.
