Lasers’ Clinch GNAC Men’s Basketball Regular Season Title

The Lasell College men's basketball team clinched the Great Northeast Athletic Conference regular season title and first place seed in the GNAC tournament tonight with a victory over second place Emerson College, 79-68.   Lasell sealed the league title with a 14-3 GNAC record, and a 17-7 overall record, having one regular season game left.  Emerson ended the night at a 12-5 conference mark and a 16-8 overall record.

The lead changed four times over the first six minutes of the contest, until the Lasers took control of the board at 14:02 with a baseline jump shot by Brad Caravoulias (Dracut, Mass.).  Caravoulias' bucket sent Lasell on an 11-0 run, which included a commanding one handed dunk by Jose Guitian (Miami, FL), to put them up by 10 with 9:31 on the clock. Emerson cut the deficit back to just five points after a trey from Tom Messinger (Florence, Mass.), his first of five three's.

However, just three minutes later, the Lasers had capitalized on their momentum, expanding their lead up to 34-20, following trifecta's by Charles Horton (Worcester, Mass.) and Kevin Fallon (Manasquan, NJ), and finished off by Javon Williams (Mattapan, Mass.) blocking a Lion shot and transitioning to lay in two points for Lasell.   The hosts, who shot 42.9% from the field in the half, kept a double-figure lead into the break, closing out at 41-27.

Entering the second half the Lasers continued to push ahead, taking their biggest lead at an eighteen point advantage.  In spite of that, Emerson's Jeremy Shannon (Lowell, Mass.) set in motion a streak for the Lions bringing the visitors within eight points, with just under nine minutes to play.  The Lasers would not be displaced though as closed out an 11 point win, 79-68, and sealed the GNAC regular season title.

Two Lasers finished the matchup with double-doubles.  Guitian accumulated 26 points, 17 rebounds, and four blocks for the victors, while freshman forward Williams came out with 17 points, 11 boards, and added three blocks. Williams shots 54% from the field, and 100% from the free throw line in his impressive performance. Fallon went 3-6 from downtown, and 100% from the charity stripe to add 13 points for the hosts.

Shannon was the sole Lion to notch double-figures in two categories, completing 26 points and 15 rebounds, to go along with 6 assists and three steals.  Messinger went 5-8 from beyond the arc for 15 points.  Lasell defense held Emerson's leading scorer Brian Rouse (East Greenwich, RI) to just four points and two rebounds through the contest.

Lasell faces St. Joseph's Maine in their final regular season match on Saturday, February 21st, at 3:00 p.m.  The Lasers will then host the GNAC tournament as the top seed starting Tuesday, February 24th.