Suffolk Tops Men’s Basketball In Abbreviated Season Opener, 95-84

BOSTON, Mass. – The Endicott men's basketball team lost its 2020-21 abbreviated season opener to Suffolk University, 95-84, on Saturday afternoon at Smith Court.

Billy Arseneault (Lynnfield, Mass.) led the Gulls with a near-triple-double via 23 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists (all team-highs).

Jalen Echevarria (Lynn, Mass.) also chipped in with 19 points and five rebounds, while Ty Vitko (Dover, N.H.) rounded out the list of double-digit scorers for the Gulls with a career-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field (2-6 3PT, 2-2 FT).

After Arseneault gave Endicott its largest lead of the game with 9:33 remaining in the second half (69-61), the Rams responded with a 26-9 run over the next 7:33 of action to come away with the victory.

Suffolk's nine-point lead (87-78) with 1:49 to play was the largest for any team in the second stanza, up until that point, as both teams were deadlocked in a two-possession game for the majority of the final 20 minutes of play.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Endicott showed a ton of grit in its first contest of the season as the Gulls trailed by eight points at the beginning of the second half (48-40, 19:49) and by as many as 17 late in the first half (4:52).
• Arseneault registered career-highs for points and rebounds in today's game.
• His career-high for assists is nine, which he set against the University of New England on 2/5/2020.
• Both teams scored 42 points in the paint.
• The season series between the two programs is now tied at 1-1.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (0-1) and Suffolk's (3-0) next opponents will be announced on their respective websites next week. 

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(Photo Credit - Nick Grace '20, picture taken in 2019)