February 6, 2008
Hemingway Buzzer Beater Propels Eagles To Third Straight Win
- Win Puts DWC Squarely In Playoff Hunt -
 

(Courtesy Suffolk Sports Information)
Nashua – Freshman Ahmad Hemingway’s (Staten Island, N.Y.) 10-foot jumper at the buzzer lifted Daniel Webster to a 91-90 Great Northeast Athletic Conference men’s basketball victory over Suffolk Wednesday evening at Regan Gymnasium.

It was the third straight victory for the Eagles after an 11-game slide. The win also kept DWC squarely in the hunt for the eighth and final playoff spot for the GNAC tournament with five league games remaining. DWC pulled a half game ahead of Mount Ida (3-10 GNAC), 93-79 losers to Emmanuel.

The visiting Eagles (6-13, 4-10 Great Northeast) rallied from a nine-point deficit in the final 4:19 of action, as the host Rams (2-18, 1-12 Great Northeast) held an 87-78 advantage after a conventional three-point play by sophomore Alan Jaziri (Norwich, Conn.).

Junior Tim Jackson (West Henrietta, N.Y.) single-handedly gave Daniel Webster the lead by scoring 11 straight points over a 1:22 stretch to stake the visitors to an 89-87 edge with 2:12 remaining, and after free throws by freshmen Mario Massimino (East Haven, Conn.) and Allan Ray (Lynn, Mass.) evened matters for Suffolk, junior Brian Small (Stoughton, Mass.) gave the Rams a 90-89 advantage with 45 seconds to play by converting one of two attempts at the line.

Daniel Webster missed a lay-in on its ensuing possession and forced a Suffolk turnover with 13 seconds to play, setting up Hemingway’s heroics, as he floated a jumper from the left of the key for the game-winner.

Daniel Webster raced out to an 11-point lead (32-21) midway through the opening 20 minutes of play before Suffolk used a 24-7 run over an eight-plus minute stretch to take a 45-41 lead on a pair of Small free throws in the closing minutes before intermission. The two teams traded the lead twice before the Eagles grabbed a 49-47 edge at the break, but the Rams opened the second half with a 12-6 run to take back a four-point advantage. The lead exchanged hands on three more occasions before the hosts built their 11-point lead, setting up the frantic finish in the closing minutes.

Jackson led all scorers with 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists off the bench in the win for Daniel Webster, which also received 17 points and eight boards from Hemingway. Freshman Chris Hanson (Salem, Mass.) chipped in with 11 points and three steals for the visitors, who also received 10 points and five caroms from sophomore Ray McKie (St. Albans, N.Y.). The Eagles shot 42 percent from the field and canned eight three-pointers to overcome 21 turnovers in posting their third straight victory overall.

Small notched his fifth double-double effort with 24 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in the setback for Suffolk, which also received a career-high 18 points and nine boards from Massimino. Ray chipped in with 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and four assists for the hosts, who also received 12 points and six boards from Jaziri as the Rams shot 42 percent from the field and held a 56-47 rebounding advantage but hurt themselves by missing 15 free throws on the night, including nine after intermission alone.

Suffolk heads across Boston Common on Saturday afternoon to take on Emerson in a Great Northeast outing that tips-off at 3:00 p.m., while Daniel Webster hosts Norwich in a Great Northeast match-up on Saturday afternoon in Nashua, N.H. that also begins at 3:00 p.m.