LASERS COOL DOWN SAINTS, 95-76

NEWTON, Mass. – Behind a commanding first half, the Lasell men's basketball team topped the visiting Saints of Emmanuel College, 95-76, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action Saturday afternoon inside the Athletic Center. The Lasers improve to 15-8 overall and 12-4 in the conference, while the Saints snap a four game win-streak and dip to 7-15 this season and 6-9 in the GNAC.

Three Lasers shot to double-digits on the stat sheet, with Armin Omanovic (Wilkesboro, N.C.) leading the charge on his second straight 37-point performance. Omanovic shot 10-of-19 from the floor, with six coming from three-point range, while sinking 11-of-14 shots from the free throw line. Classmate John Powell (Ashland, Mass.) recorded his second double-double in four games with 24 points and 14 boards, highlighted by .76% shooting from the free throw line (10-13).  GNAC Rookie of the Week Tim Blair (Newington, Conn.) scored 13 points – all from beyond the arc – to round out double digit scoring for the home team.

Aidan Hadley (Owls Head, Maine) recorded a double-double for the Saints on 17 points and 10 caroms, while Emmett Riddick (Middletown, Conn.) followed with 15 points of his own. Julian Diggs (Centerville, Va.) scored 12 points off the bench, in addition to eight rebounds and three assists.

The Lasers controlled the entire first half, jumping out to an early 21-9 advantage with just six minutes expired on the game clock. Omanovic scored 10 points in the stretch before a Hadley layup gave the Saints their last basket for the next five minutes, as Lasell shot to another substantial burst, 18-0. The Lasers used 51.4% shooting from the floor and a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe to hold a commanding 57-33 lead going into the break.

Lasell held on to its comfortable margin throughout the second half, while Diggs scored all 12 of his points in the stretch, capped by a 6-0 run with three minutes left to go in regulation. The deficit panned out to be too much for Diggs and the Saints, as the Lasers closed out on a 7-3 run for the 95-76 score.

The Lasers will play their final two games of the regular season this week, starting on Tuesday, February 14 with a 7:00 p.m. tip at Rivier. The Saints are also back in GNAC action on Tuesday, as they host GNAC frontrunner Albertus Magnus at 7:00 p.m.

*Release courtesy of Laser College Sports Information