Suffolk Edges Blue Basketball on Day Two of San Juan Shootout

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Suffolk University used a late 8-0 run to take a 58-49 victory over Wellesley College basketball on day two of the San Juan Shootout at Mario 'Quijote' Morales Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Both Wellesley and Suffolk now stand at 3-6 overall. 

Wellesley junior Chelsi Scott (Potland, Mich.) scored a game-high 20 points, finishing in double-figures for the second consecutive game and fourth time this season. Scott also grabbed six rebounds while registering three blocks and collecting a pair of steals. Senior guard Natalie Anderson (Bellevue, Wash.) and first year guard Kayla Jang (South Pasadena, Calif.) each added nine points in the contest, with Jang also dishing out a game-high five assists. Senior Morgyne Weaver (Oklahoma City, Okla.) grabbed a team-high eight rebounds for the Blue. 

Junior Alessandra Quadri (Sudbury, Mass.) led the way for the Rams, coming off the bench to score a team-high 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. Junior Chelsea Campellone (Fall River, Mass.) and sophomore Kesley Schiebel (Windham, N.H.) both added seven points for Suffolk. Campellone also grabbed seven rebounds. Senior Tori Brillaud (North Andover, Mass.) collected a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with five points. 

The Blue opened the contest on a 9-0 run, capped by a layup from Scott at 15:08 of the first. Suffolk countered with an 8-0 run of their own, closing the gap to within a point at 10:38. The Rams eventually took their first lead of the contest just over a minute later when Schiebel knocked down a three-pointer to give the Rams an 11-10 advantage. 

A pair of free throws from Schieble and a triple from Quadri grew the Rams advantage to 16-10 with 5:28 to play before the half. Quadri would knock down another bucket following a layup from the Blue's Ailis Hanley (Cranston, R.I.) as the Rams grabbed continued to hold their largest lead of the first at six points. However, Wellesley would enter the half trailing only 22-19 after outscoring the Rams 7-4 over the final five minutes of the first. 

Little separated the teams following the intermission, as Suffolk would continue to cling to a small advantage for much of the second half. The Rams again held a six-point advantage twice in the opening ten minutes of the half, following a layup from Brillaud at 15:17 and again thanks to a three pointer from Quadri at 12:03. 

Trailing 36-30 following Quadri's three-pointer, Wellesley countered with an 11-2 run to take the lead for the first time since the first half, as Anderson knocked down a triple to make the score 41-38 with 9:31 left in regulation.

Neither team led by more than three-points over the next six minutes. Scott made a pair of free throws at 3:15 to draw the Blue to within one-point, at 50-49, but Suffolk would counter by scoring the the final eight points of the contest to grab the 58-49 victory. 

Wellesley will return to New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference action next Saturday when they travel to take on Smith at 2:00 PM. Suffolk will play at Conn. College in their next contest on Monday, January 5 at 7:00 PM.