Men’s Basketball Turns Away Suffolk, 93-88

BOSTON, Mass. — The Endicott men's basketball team defeated Suffolk, 93-88, in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action on Tuesday night at Larry E. Smith and Michael S. Smith Court.

Ty Vitko (Dover, N.H.) led the Gulls with a career-best 30 points (8-13 FG, 5-10 3PT, 9-10 FT).

Jalen Echevarria (Lynn, Mass.) supplied 21 points (7-14 FG, 5-10 3PT), dished out seven dimes, and produced two steals in 36 minutes of action.

Parker McLaren (Newburyport, Mass.) netted a career-high 17 points off the bench alongside five boards, while Liam Dunfee (Nahant, Mass.) added 10 points and three rebounds.

The Rams raced out to an early 14-4 advantage with 15:22 to play in the opening stanza. 

At the 12:26 mark, the Blue and Green countered with an 8-0 burst spearheaded by a mid-range jumper and three-pointer from McLaren to cut the deficit to 20-18.

The Gulls outscored Suffolk 20-9 over the last ten minutes of the half, while holding the hosts scoreless for 6:52 igniting their largest lead of 38-31 at the break. 

From there, both teams exchanged baskets for the first ten minutes of the closing stanza. 

With 4:16 left, the visitors surged to their largest lead of the matchup (81-67) via a 10-2 spurt. The scoring run was fueled by an Echevarria jumper, McLaren and Vitko each knocked down a three-ball, and Homsey made a layup to halt a Rams comeback bid.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Endicott holds the edge in the all-time series, 5-4.
• Dunfee recorded his first collegiate start in tonight's victory. 
• The Blue and Green forced 11 miscues that resulted in 20 points on the offensive end.
• Endicott's substitutes outscored the Suffolk reserves, 29-20.
• The Gulls dished out 19 assists on 30 converted field goals.
• Tonight's triumph marks the fourth straight game the Gulls have scored 90-plus points.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (5-3, 3-0 CCC) hosts Salem State on Thursday, December 7 at 7:00 PM. Suffolk (4-3, 1-2 CCC) competes in the Steve Moore Sunshine Classic in Winter Park, Fla. on December 19-20. 

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

(Photo Credit - Demetrius Kazanas '22 M'23)