MBB: Lasell rolls past Rivier

NASHUA, N.H. – Junior Stefan Masciarelli (Northbridge, Mass.) and sophomore Liam Jacobs (Plainfield, Conn.) combined for 58 points and 17 rebounds Thursday evening as Lasell College rolled by Rivier University, 109-79, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's basketball action at Muldoon Gymnasium.

The Lasers improve to 2-0 in the GNAC (4-10 overall), while Rivier drops its 12th straight contest to fall to 0-2 in conference play (1-13 overall). The 109 points are the most in a game for Lasell since scoring 113 in a win at Rivier on February 14, 2017.

Masciarelli, coming off a career-high 39 points on Tuesday, poured in 33 points against the Raiders, connecting on 13-of-22 shots, including 4-of-7 from long range. Jacobs, who was the hero on Tuesday with a last-second basket as the Lasers upset Saint Joseph's College (Maine), scored a career-high 25 points against Rivier on 8-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-8 from three-point land. Masciarelli added six rebounds and three assists, while Jacobs collected 11 rebounds to post his first career double-double.

Sophomore Dylan Murray (Williston, Fla.) and sophomore Kevin Nunez (Dorchester, Mass.) also scored in double figures for Lasell, Murray putting up 15 points and Nunez recording a double-double with 14 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.

Junior Nate Hale (Nashua, N.H.) led the home team with 29 points and eight rebounds, making 10-of-22 from the field and 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, while classmate Issaiah Chappell (Sunapee, N.H.) added 18 points and seven boards.

Rivier kept the game close early on, leading 10-9 six minutes in, but Lasell went on a 15-3 burst to take a 24-13 lead by the midway point of the half. The Lasers had a 20-point margin (40-20) with five minutes remaining in the half before the Raiders came back to cut the margin to 13 points (45-32) at the break.

The home team got as close as 10 points early in the second half, but a 15-5 Laser run pushed the margin back up to 20 points (63-43), and the Lasers went on to the lopsided win.

Lasell is idle for a week before returning to action next Thursday, January 17, with a GNAC matchup at the University of Saint Joseph (Connecticut) at 7:00 p.m. Rivier is back on the court Saturday, January 12, at GNAC foe Albertus Magnus College at 3:00 p.m.

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