Rams Lose Emerson Tip-Off Tournament

By Larry Miller/Framingham State athletics

The Framingham State women’s basketball team dropped the championship game of the Emerson Tip-off Tournament to Suffolk University 68-54.

Framingham State slips to 1-1 and Suffolk is now 2-0.

Framingham sophomores Raegan Mulherin and Quinn O’Connell were named to the all-tournament team.

Alessandra Quadri notched 18 points on a 6-of-15 performance from the field and 4-of-6 from the line.

Classmate and tournament MVP Caitlyn Caramello pitched in 12 points and eight boards with Georgia Bourikas contributing 10 points, shooting 2-of-4 from deep. Junior Alexandra Clarke added eight rebounds to the effort.

Mulherin led all scorers with 20 points shooting 7-of-21 from the field. The sophomore also collected four steals on the day.

Suffolk shot 35 percent for the game, 31.6 from three-point range (6-for-19) and 71.4 (20-for-28) at the line compared to Framingham’s 28.4 percentage from the field (19-of-67). Suffolk also out rebounded FSU, 37-27, and turned second chances into eight points.

To open the game, both ends were cold and with 3:09 off the clock Suffolk called for a timeout with the game scoreless. Out of break, Suffolk took advantage of trips to the charity stripe, connecting on 4-of-6 to take an early 4-0 edge.

Half-way through the first quarter neither team still connected from the field, before Bourikas hit back-to-back triples and Suffolk went ahead, 10-2. Marissa Gudauskas got on the board and made two of her own to make it a 16-5 game in favor of the Boston Rams. Framingham made a hoop and free throw as the score moved to 16-9 at the end of the first frame.

Suffolk made it a double-digit advantage early in the second, 20-9, thanks to buckets from Quadri and Chelsea Campellone. The edge would not hold, however, as Framingham slowly began chipping away, pulling within six with 5:45 to play before half-time.

The Boston Rams responded to get back out in front by 10, but Framingham rallied out of its own timeout and used a Lauren Donahue (Attleboro, Mass.) three to make it a seven-point game at 3:20. FSU would not get any closer as Suffolk scored 10 of the final 15 points, including six from Quadri, to close out the half, 35-22.

Through the first five minutes of the third, Suffolk built a 20-point lead, 51-31. From there, Suffolk went ice cold and Framingham crept back into the game and pulled within four, 51-47, at the buzzer of the third quarter.

Kelsey Schiebel ended Suffolk’s scoring draught, which extended 5:31, to open the final frame with her first points of the afternoon and the SU Rams did not let up, holding on for a 68-54 triumph.

Framingham State returns to the floor for their home-opener on Wednesday, Nov. 18 against Curry at 6 p.m.