BOSTON, Mass. - - Mount Ida College battled Suffolk University in a road Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's basketball game on Tuesday evening, but saw the Rams pull away down the stretch for an 81-69 victory. 

Freshman Nathan Bueno (Methuen, Mass) had a career-high 21 points for the Mustangs. Michael Joseph (Windsor, Conn.) also set a career-best with a 20-point performance, while senior Kenny Jean (Dorchester, Mass.) collected his first double-double of the year with 14 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. 

The Mustangs were the first to get on the board, and led by as many as five points early in the first have. Suffolk sophomore Curtis Cassella (Saugus, Mass.) got the Rams within one point 11-10 with 13:01 on the clock when he sank his first three pointer of the night for a Suffolk team that would go 9-24 from downtown. 

Joseph would answer with a three pointer to keep Mount Ida on top, but midway through the half, Suffolk junior Sam Nwadike (Houston, Tx.) would make a layup to tie the game 14-14 with 10:27 left on the clock. The game would be tied two more times in the half before Nwadike would drive in hard to the basket to make a layup to put the Rams ahead 35-34 going into the half. 

Mount Ida were again the first to get on the board in the second half, taking a one-point lead on a Tyree Singletary (Newark, N.J.) jump shot, but sophomore Caleb Unni (Winchester, Mass.) would make back to back threes to put the Rams up 44-36, and the Mustangs would never recover their lead. 

With just under five minutes on the clock, Joseph madea lay up to cut Suffolk's lead down to six. Casella responded with a three pointer that would put the Rams up 76-63 at 3:21 and Suffolk would hold onto the lead and close out the second half for the win that made them 9-12 overall and 6-8 in GNAC play. 

The Rams had three players score in double figures. Casella netted a team high 21 points and was a perfect 5 for 5 from the free throw line. Unni had 19 points on the night and Nwadike pitched in with 18 points and six rebounds.  

The Mustangs fall to 5-16 overall and 2-12 in conference action. They will host GNAC rival Saint Joseph's Maine at 6:00 pm on Thursday night in a make-up game from last Wednesday night. 

The Rams will be back in action on Thursday to take on Lasell College at home at 7:30pm in GNAC play.