Men's Basketball Digs Deep to Take Down Anchormen in OT 69-61

Providence, R.I.-- The Lasell College men's basketball team rallied to a 69-61 overtime victory on the road against Rhode Island College on Thursday night at The Murray Center. With the win - their third straight - the Lasers even out at 3-3 overall, while the Anchormen drop another close game and sink to 1-6 this seaon.

STAT LEADERS FOR LASELL

• Junior guard Armin Omanovic (Wilkesboro, NC) and senior forward Pat Marchand (Cranston, RI) each scored 16 points in the victory, with Marchand grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds. Senior guard Richard O'Brien (Manchester, NH) was also in double digits scoring 14 points for the visitors.

STAT LEADERS FOR RIC

• Rhode Island College sophomore Chris Green (Taunton, MA) scored a game-high 19 points and led all scorers on 5-of-10 shooting from downtown. Freshman center Jason Jones (Roxbury, MA) grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with five points, two blocks and two steals. Freshman guard Brandon Williams Jr. (Dorchester, MA) dished out a game-high nine assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Anchormen opened a quick seven point lead 4:49 into the game when Green hit junior forward Terrance Tribble (White Plains, NY) for an alley-oop layup. RIC ballooned the lead to as large as nine points, 16-7, before a layup by Lasell freshman forward Angel Perez (Marblehead, MA) cut the deficit down to three, 20-17, with 3:57 left in the first half. 
• RIC extended the lead back to four, but a pair of free throws by senior forward Logan Liberty (Duxbury, VT) with 33 seconds remaining sent the game into halftime with RIC leading by two, 23-21.
• The Anchormen opened their lead up to as large as 12 points in the second half, 39-27, following a fast break three by Green with 15:24 on the clock. The Anchormen remained ahead by double figures for much of the half, with another trey by Green putting RIC up by 10, 50-40, with 4:45 left in the game. The Lasers cut the lead down to four, 53-49, following a three by O'Brien with 1:32 remaining. With the Anchormen holding a two point lead late in the half, Omanovic hit a tough runner in the paint to knot the game at 56-56 and send the contest into overtime.
• The overtime period saw Lasell outscore the Anchormen, 6-0 in the paint, using a 13-5 run in the extra frame to escape The Murray Center with the 69-61 overtime victory.
  
  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Anchormen shot 36.0 percent (9-for-25) from the floor in the half, while holding Lasell to just 22.7 percent (5-for-22) from the field and 14.3 percent (1-for-7) from three-point range.
• The two squads for 51 turnovers and were even in rebounding, 48-48. RIC had four players, including three from the starting lineup, foul out during the game.
• RIC shot 29.0 percent (18-for-62) from the floor, while shooting 40.9 percent (9-for-22) from downtown. Lasell shot 35.1 percent (20-for-57) from the field as a team while shooting just 18.8 percent (3-for-16) from beyond the arc.

WHAT'S NEXT

• Both teams return to conference action on Saturday, December 5 at 3:00 p.m. The Lasers will host Mount Ida College in a local crosstown rivalry, while the Anchormen head to Plymouth State.

Content Courtesy of Rhode Island College Sports Information