Bates 79, Suffolk 78
at Alumni Gym

Playing without leading scorer and rebounder Rommel Padonou, who missed the game with a touch of the flu, the Bates College men's basketball team (8-2) won their fourth straight, 79�-78, over Suffolk University (4-7).

In a game that featured 11 ties and five lead changes, the Bobcats took a 32-29 lead at the half behind 11 first-half points from first-year guard Billy Hart (Haverhill, Mass.). Suffolk took the lead, 39-37, by scoring six points on a single possession just over three minutes into the second half when first-year center Jesse Carney (Brunswick, Maine) was whistled for a technical for slapping the backboard in an attempt to block a shot. After the teams battled back and forth for the next 12 minutes, the Rams grabbed a five-point lead, 71-66, on a 3-pointer by first-year guard Jason Luisi (Hyde Park, Mass.) with 5:10 remaining in the game. Bates answered with an 11-2 run over the next 4:30, with six points coming from first-year forward Ed Walker (Roxbury, Mass.). An Alex Wilson (Duxbury, Mass.) free throw gave Bates a 77-73 lead with 19.4 seconds left, but sophomore forward Dan Florian (Pittsburgh, Pa.) hit a lay up and a three pointer at the buzzer with two Hart free throws in between for the final tally.

Walker led the Bobcats with 21 points, with 13 coming in the second half. Wilson added 20 and a game-high 11 rebounds for his sixth double double of the season, while Hart had 17 points. Florian led all scorers with 23 in the losing effort, while Luisi had 17 and senior guard David Lynch (Winthrop, Mass.) had 15 points and nine rebounds.

Bates 79, Suffolk 78

Suffolk (78): Chris Adams 1-0-2, Winston Daley 2-0-4, Adam Fetherston
1-2-4, David Lynch 6-2-15, Adrian Sullivan 0-0-0, James Buono 1-0-3, Jason
Luisi 6-2-17, COlin Fern 2-5-10, Dan Florian 11-0-23, Totals 30-11-78.

Bates (79): Jason Patterson 0-0-0, David Scott 0-0-0, Matt Moulis 1-0-3,
Billy Hart 6-2-17, Matt Carriker 1-0-2, Alex Wilson 5-10-20, Garth Timoll
6-0-12, Jesse Carney 1-2-4, Ed Walker 10-0-21, Totals 30-14-79.

3-pt. FG: Suffolk 7 (Luisi 3, Sullivan, Buono, Fern, Florian), Bates 5
(Hart 3, Walker, Moulis).

Halftime: Bates, 32-29.

Records: Suffolk, 4-7. Bates, 8-2.