Men's Hoops Holds Off Babson, 75-72

Newton, Mass. (11/20/12) - The Lasell College men's basketball team picked up their first win of the season, 75-72, in a non-conference men's basketball contest at Babson's Staake Gymnasium on Tuesday night. Lasell improved to 1-2 on the season and while handing Babson their first loss of the season to drop to them 2-1 on the year.

Junior Brandon Ganesh (Wellington, Fla.) led all player with 30 points in the victory for Lasell (1-2), as he shot 8-for-16 from the field, including a 5-for-8 showing from three-point range, and 9-for-11 from the line. The junior guard also dished out five assists and pulled down six rebounds in the winning effort. Senior Sean Bertanza (Seymour, Conn.) added 18 points, seven boards, and six assists for the Lasers, who shot a 11-for-21 from three-point range enroute to a 48% shooting performance on the night.

Babson (2-1) was led by sophomore John Wickey (Manchester, N.H.), who shot 10-for-16 from the field on his way to a 23-point, seven-rebound performance. Junior Matt Palazini (Franklin, Mass.) chipped in 15 points, junior point guard Kenny Ross (Furlong, Pa.) recorded six points and nine assists. Although the Beavers shot 47.4 percent from the field, they hit just 9-of-32 from long range and only 9-of-19 from the free throw line.

The Lasers took a 37-33 lead into the half on the strength of a 50% shooting performance and 12 points from Ganesh. Lasell held Babson to 38% shooting in the fiurst half, but the hosts used an edge on the offensive glass to keep the margin close.

Through the opening 10 minutes of the second half, Lasell continued to expand it's lead by grinding out a 22-9 run behind a combined 20 points from Bertanza and Ganesh to take a 59-42, with 9:30 left to play. Babson's Wickey responded with a 7-0 burst of his own, capped off by a conventional three-point play that pulled Babson back to within 59-49, with 6:32 on the clock.

A Wickey lay-up with 36 seconds remaining trimmed the margin to seven, but a pair of free throws from senior Arthur Alexander (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) put Lasell back up by nine.

A Palazini put-back made it a seven-point game, and sophomore Sean McClung (Merrimack, N.H.) recorded a steal and made a pair of free throws that cut Lasell's lead to 74-69 with 17 seconds to go. Alexander made one of two to put Lasell ahead 75-69, but Palazini drained his fourth three-pointer of the night to make it a one-possession game, 75-72, with six seconds to go. The junior guard then stole the ensuing inbounds pass deep in the right corner to give his team a chance, but freshmen Travis Sheldon's (Woodstock, N.Y.) desperation three at the buzzer was just off the mark as the Lasers held on for the dramatic three-point victory.