Collins, Kelly lead Salve Regina to first win of season

NEWPORT, R.I. (November 23, 2019) - Salve Regina University junior Cameron Collins (Oakdale, Conn.) returned to the Seahawk lineup to lead his men's basketball team to an 81-76 victory over Suffolk University at the Rodgers Recreation Center. Collins scored a game-high 23 points on 10-of-14 from the floor and 3-of-3 from the line. Classmate Kevin Kelly (Valhalla, N.Y.) contributed 21 points for Salve Regina (1-3) on seven of 12 from the field and he was also perfect from the line (6-for-6). Ram junior Brendan Mulson (Albany, N.Y.) led Suffolk (3-1) with 22 points shooting 50 percent from the floor including three 3-pointers.

The Seahawks set a program record for field goal percentage in a game (30-for-48 equals 62.5%), besting the previous mark set last year against Colby-Sawyer (Nov. 17, 2018) when they shot 33-for-53 from the floor (62.3%) in the consolation game of the Cave Classic at Bridgewater State University.

Mulson had a pair of 3-pointers in the first six minutes as the visitors built a six-point lead (11-5 at 14:56) before Seahawk sophomore Mikey Spencer (Abington, Mass.) sank his first trey of the day to key a 13-4 run for the home team. Graduate student Tyler Benjamin (Fitchburg, Mass.) came off the bench and provided a spark with back-to-back 3-pointers during the run.

After Alex Jacovides (Tampa, Fla.) tied the score at 18-18 (9:46 left in first) with his 3-pointer, Spencer started another big run (26-11 over 7:45) for the Seahawks who enjoyed their largest lead (15 points, 44-29 at 1:31) when Collins put in a layup for his 11th point of the first. Mulson's third trey of the period made the score at the break, Salve Regina 44 and Suffolk 32.

Suffolk outscored Salve Regina, 17-9, over the first six minutes of the second half. Nate Hale (Nashua, N.H.) accounted for 10 of those Ram points including two treys. Jacovides' 3-pointer made it a four-point game (53-49, at 14:21 left in second).

Salve Regina junior Stephen Natola (Exeter, N.H.) helped get the Seahawk advantage to nine points with a quick eight-point barrage (1:22 elapsed) that included three layups and two free throws. The Seahawks last had a double-digit lead (73-62; 6:17 remaining) after a Collins layup; it would be Collins' last points.

An old-fashioned three-point play (basket and free throw) by Thomas Duffy (Fairfield, Conn.) brought Suffolk within two (75-73) with just over a minute remaining. Kelly kept the Seahawks on top with four three throws and a layup in the final minute.

Hale (18), Duffy (13), and Jacovides (11) all joined Mulson in double-figure scoring for Suffolk. Spencer (10) and Natola (10) had double digits for Salve Regina while Benjamin finished with nine on 3-of-4 from behind the arc.

The Seahawks have one game remaining before Thanksgiving, traveling to St. Joseph's in Connecticut on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. tip-off. Suffolk returns to the hardwood on December 3 when it travels across the Boston Commons for a battle with Emerson College.