Men's Hoops Honors Graduating Class in 81-68 Victory Over Norwich

NEWTON, Mass. (2/18/17) -- The Lasell College men's basketball team closed its regular season with an 81-68 win over the visiting Cadets of Norwich University in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play on Saturday afternoon in the Athletic Center.

Lasell moves to 16-8 on the season and 13-4 in GNAC play with the win, while Norwich slips to 8-16 overall and 5-12 in conference games.

Prior to tip-off, the Lasell men's basketball team honored its three graduating seniors, Armin Omanovic (Wilkesboro, N.C.), Yordan Villalon (Miami, Fla.) and John Powell (Ashland, Mass.), for their hard work and dedication to the men's basketball program. Powell led four Lasers in double figures with 32 points on 12-of-15 shooting and seven rebounds, while Villalon (Miami, Fla.) recorded one of two team double-doubles with 12 points and a game-high 16 boards.

Derek McMahon (Hatfield, Mass.) added 18 points - a career high for the junior guard -, while Tim Blair (Newington, Conn.) added 12 points and 10 assists.

Junior Zygimantas Sirvydas (Silale, Lithuania) paced the Cadets with 18 points, while three other players added 11 apiece. Classmate Darius Bryant (Calhoun Falls, S.C.) led Norwich with six rebounds.

Sirvydas scored five of the Cadets' first seven points as they built a 7-2 lead in the opening four minutes of play. Powell scored ten straight in a 13-point swing to draw the hosts even at 10-10 before the midway mark of the half. Lasell scored six straight and eight of the next 11 points to take its first lead of the game before McMahon launched a pair of threes in less than minute.

Powell scored two more of his 14 first-half points on a layup with 5:55 remaining to lift the Lasers to a ten-point advantage, but the visitors went on another run of their own, tying the game at 30 with less than three minutes to play. Lasell led by three in the final minute of the half, but Cadets junior Joe Bertrand (Saugus, Mass.) hit a jumper from beyond the arc to make the score 33-33 at the buzzer.

Powell hit all but one of his seven field goals over the final 20 minutes and totaled 18 points to lead the Lasers' second-half efforts, outscoring the visitors 48-35. Lasell shot 15-of-26 from the field in the first, with McMahon hitting two of the team's four threes.

The teams traded baskets over the first three-plus minutes of the second half as Norwich's lead only grew to four after junior Mike Hogervorst (Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands) recorded three straight points on a layup and a free throw. Lasell staged a four-point swing immediately thereafter before a 7-2 run, that ended with another McMahon three, making the score 58-50 with 10:50 to play.

Powell was sent to the foul line often in the back half of the game, hitting six of his nine free throws to help the Lasers grow their lead. Norwich hit two threes in the final minute, but Powell hit two shots with 63 seconds to play to lift the Lasers to their largest advantage.

Lasell qualifies for postseason play for the fourth straight season, and will host the GNAC quarterfinal as the No. 3 seed when it welcomes Emmanuel College on Tuesday, February 21 at 7:00 p.m.