Men's Basketball Hangs on for 80-75 Victory Against St. Joe's

NEWTON, Mass. (1/16/16) – The Lasell men's basketball team extended its' conference win streak on Saturday afternoon with an 80-75 victory over the visiting Monks of Saint Joseph's College of Maine. Sporting a 7-0 record in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), the Lasers ascend to 10-4 on the year, while the Monks drop to 5-10 overall and 2-6 in GNAC play.

STAT LEADERS FOR LASELL

Four of five starters for the Lasers reached double digits in scoring, as junior guard Armin Omanovic (Wilkesboro, N.C.) led all players with 28 total points on 10-for-18 shooting, with 15 points coming from downtown. The GNAC's Player of the Week grabbed nine additional rebounds and dished out four assists on the transition in the victory.

Senior forward Pat Marchand (Cranston, R.I.) turned his fifth double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore Scott Arsenault (Walpole, Mass.) went a perfect 4-for-4 on the charity stripe, and gave the Lasers 16 total points, 12 coming from three-point range. Senior forward Logan Liberty (Duxbury, Vt.) rounded out double digit scoring for the hosts with 10 points, four rebounds, and two blocks.

STAT LEADERS FOR ST. JOE'S

Despite the deficit, four Monks put up double-digits points with sophomore forward Quinn Richardson-Newton leading the pack with 10 points and nine rebounds. Freshman guard Ian Mileikis (Auburn, Maine) chipped in with 15 points, six rebounds, and two steals, while freshman forward Marc Corey (Londonderry, N.H.) closed out double-digits scoring for the starting five with 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Freshman guard Darian Barry (Rochester, N.H.) came off the bench to score 10 points in the effort.

HOW IT HAPPENED

In a game that featured five ties in the first half, the Lasers used 44.8% shooting to outshine the Monks 46-35 heading into the halftime break. With a mixture of baskets from Omanovic, Arsenault, and junior forward Yordan Villalon (Miami, Fla.), Lasell went on a 6-0 stretch with 14:00 left in regulation for a 54-42 bump. The Monks would not go quietly, however, as they went on a 9-0 run of their own to slowly pull within reach, 69-61 with seven minutes left to play.

Mileikis strung together five points for St. Joe's, combined with a deep basket from senior guard Craig Luschanet (Boston, Mass.) to come within one possession as five seconds remained on the game clock. After two timeouts taken from both sides, the Lasers remained composed on offense, and drew a final foul of the game, as Marchand netted the closing basket for the 80-75 final.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Lasell outshot St. Joe's by a slim 49.2% to 43.5% and held a slim 39-32 advantage on the glass. Lasell used 32 points in the paint, while St. Joe's took advantage of Lasell's 12 turnovers to score 15 points.

WHAT'S NEXT

With GNAC contests up for both teams, the Lasers will close out a conference doubleheader on Tuesday, January 19 against Norwich at 7:30 p.m., while the Monks host Suffolk University on Monday, January 18 at 3:00 p.m.