With 1.8 seconds remaining in the contest, Mount Ida College men's basketball freshman Johrone Bunch (Meriden, CT/F.T. Maloney) put back a missed lay-in off the glass to seal an 81-79 victory over Suffolk University this Thursday night in Newton, Massachusetts.  The win was the Mustangs second of the year in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) and their eighth overall on the season.  Mount Ida also surpasses last years win total of seven with the victory.  The Mustangs improve to an even .500 at 8-8 on the year, 2-7 in the GNAC while Suffolk continues to skid at 2-14, 1-8 in conference play. 

Suffolk, who led the entire contest until the final three minutes, went ahead quickly up 10-3 at the 16:18 mark.   It stayed this way for most of the first half with the Rams maintained the advantage by a couple of baskets for the next 10 minutes on a good lay-up by senior Brian Small (Stoughton, MA/Stoughton) up 29-19.  The Mustangs looked sluggish and could not get back into the action. 

The visitors started to pull away by a game high 18 points towards the end of the first stanza leading 40-22 with two minutes to go before the break.  Mount Ida eventually picked up the pace and chopped the lead in half after a huge steal by freshman Joe Cabral (Walpole, MA/Walpole) cutting the advantage to nine points trialing 41-32 at the midway point. 

It was back and forth for the opening of the second half with the Rams holding a steady double digit advantage for the first 5:30 up 50-40.  Senior forward Matt Bennett (Rochester, NH/Spaulding) knocked down a trifecta with less than 13 ticks to go making it 50-45.

Suffolk kept the offensive hot pulling away by 14 (66-52) with 8:15 in the game after two good free throws by freshman Luke Barrett (Cincinnati, OH/St. Thomas Moore).  With 4:21 to go in the contest, the Mustangs snuck back into the game trailing by only five points after a Cabral lay-in. 

With a screaming crowd behind them, Mount Ida started to gain all the momentum in the gym coming within one point of the Rams after two successful shots from the charity stripe by Bunch at 72-71.  Santos, who was solid defensively all night, picked off Suffolk freshman Jevic Muteba (Revere, MA/Revere) and fired a pass to Bunch for a quick lay-in.  The Mustangs took their first lead of the game at this point up 73-72 with 2:59 to go. 

Another turnover for the visitors meant another bucket for the Mustangs, this time coming from senior Bruce Cary (Standish, ME/Bonny Eagle) ahead by three (75-72).  The Rams cut the Mount Ida advantage to one again on a Muteba lay-in (75-74). 

With Suffolk starting to foul, the free throws were very important towards the end of the contest.  Bunch knocked down two with less than two minutes to go giving the Mustangs the three point advantage.  It looked like the Mustangs were in line for a victory until a fumbled pass gave the visitors the ball back trialing by two (77-79).  

Barrett would drive the middle of the lane and carom a lay-up in to knot the score at 79-79 with 10 seconds to go in regulation.  Santos rushed the ball up the floor and drove the lane forcing a lay-in that clanged off the rim.  Bunch was following the miss and threw up a prayer that spun in off the right side of the backboard giving the Mustangs the 81-79 lead with 1.8 seconds remaining.  The Rams threw up an 80 foot desperation shot that missed sealing the victory for Mount Ida.  The Mustangs were outstanding on the boards, even better on the offensive ones, with a total of 45 caroms to 36 by Suffolk.

Mount Ida had four players in double figures including Santos who led his team with 18 points and six assists.  Bennett was, as usual, solid with 14 points and 11 caroms, his seventh double-double on the year, while Bunch chipped in 12.  Cary was also outstanding with 11 points, seven boards, and three key steals. 

The Rams had three players in double digits with Small notching a game high 22 points and 14 boards while freshman Mike Gibbons (Ringwood, NJ/Lakeland Regional) added 18 points and three assists.  Barrett chipped in 17 points as well.

The Mustangs will travel to Rivier College this coming Saturday for a re-match in Nashua, New Hampshire starting at 1:00 p.m.