LASELL STAYS UNBEATEN IN GNAC, TOPS MEN’S HOOPS 96-85

BOSTON, Mass. – Lasell College used a 96-85 victory over Emmanuel College to stay unbeaten in Great Northeast Athletic Conference Men's Basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Jean Yawkey Center. The Lasers improve to 13-4 overall and a perfect 10-0 in GNAC play while the loss drops the Saints to 3-13 and 3-7 in the GNAC.

The first half featured two ties and eight lead changes in a back-and-forth battle that ended with the Lasers taking a 45-40 lead into the locker room.

In the early goings, Lasell jumped out to a 10-3 lead following back-to-back triples by sophomore shooting guard Scott Arsenault (Walpole, Mass.) before Emmanuel responded with a 10-2 run capped by a three from the top of the key by senior swingman Rashad Dixon (Brockton, Mass.) to give the hosts a 13-12 advantage.

With less than eight minutes to play in the half, the Lasers regained the lead at 17-16 following a pair of free throws by junior forward Yordan Villalon (Miami, Fla.). Over the next five minutes of action, Lasell would hold the advantage leading by as many as five before Emmanuel tied the score at 34-34 after another three-ball by Dixon.

Dixon drained his fourth three-ball of the half to bump Emmanuel back on top at 37-36 with 1:51 to play in the half but Lasell closed out the stanza on a 9-3 spurt fueled by four points from junior guard Armin Omanovic (Wilkesboro, N.C.) to take a 45-40 halftime lead.

Omanovic and Dixon each finished the half with 16 points to lead their squads, respectively.

Over the first seven minutes of the second half, the score remained within two possessions until an old fashion three point play by Villalon with 12:36 to play lifted Lasell to its first double-digit lead of the afternoon at 65-55. The Saints took a timeout to try and regroup but the Lasers continued to push, extending the lead to 70-55 following a baseline jumper by senior Pat Marchand (Cranston, R.I.).

Emmanuel appeared to cut the deficit to single digits following a three by sophomore Alex Minetti (Wakefield, R.I.) but the shot was wiped off the board as a result of an illegal screen called on EC to keep the score at 75-63 with seven minutes to play. It ended up being a five point swing as the Lasers and Marchand quickly scored on the ensuing possession to move the Lasell lead to 77-63 with just over seven minutes to play in regulation.

The Lasers would hold off a late Emmanuel spurt and forge ahead to the 96-85 win to stay perfect in GNAC action.

Omanovic led all scorers with a career-high 39 points and Marchand finished with a monster double-double of 15 points and 17 rebounds. Arsenault ended with 15 points while sophomore guard Derek McMahon (Hatfield, Mass.) also was in double figured with 10 points.

Dixon finished the game with 19 points while junior guard Kyle Smith (Los Angeles, Calif.) also ended the game with 19 points. Minetti finished with 13 points and junior Matt Raine (Miami, Fla.) added 10 points.

Emmanuel is idle until Thursday, January 28 when they host Johnson & Wales University at 5:30 PM. Lasell is back on Wednesday, January 27 when they travel to Standish, Maine to take on Saint Joseph's College (ME) in GNAC action.