Lasers Fall Short Against Owls, 64-54

NEWTON, MA- Keene State women's basketball came up with a 64-54 decision in non-conference action against Lasell College on Thursday night at the Lasers' Athletic Center.  Keene improves to 7-9 this season, while the Lasers fall to 1-14 in the defeat. 

Lasell's freshman guard Kayla Vincelette (Westport, MA) registered the game-high in points for the second successive game. Vincelette put up 17 points while also securing two steals and two assists. Senior guard Katie Farr (Rindge, NH) also tallied double-digits in the scoring column with 11 points, adding seven rebounds and two assists.  Sophomore forward Kim Archibald (Lewiston, ME) grabbed a game-best eight rebounds and also notched six points for Lasell and senior guard Tracy Elwell (Watertown, MA) scored nine points and matched two assists with two steals. 

On the victors side,  junior guard Sara Laudano (North Haven, CT) produced a team-high 15 points, to go along with three steals and two assists.  Sophomore forward Siobhan Carnell (Quincy, MA) went 5-for-10 from the field, and two-for-two from the line for 12 points and junior guard Meghan Farrell (Chester, VT) finished the contest with nine points and a team-best seven rebounds.

Courtney Cirillo (Windsor Locks, CT) attacked first for the Owls, getting a two point edge for the visitors at 19:11. Vincelette responded with a jumper at 18:35 on the opposite end to level the score.  A baseline three by Ashlee Moussette (Southampton, MA) started Keene on an 11-1 run which would give the away squad an 11 point lead by seven minutes in.  

Lasell whittled away at the Owls' advantage creating a 6-0 run over a three minute span.  Vincelette finished off the stretch by hitting a deep field goal from one step inside the arc cutting the Laser deficit to five, 16-11, at the 10 minute mark.  The Owls reestablished a double-figure edge, 21-11, on a Emily Pelletier (Groveton, NH) trey and a Farrell jump shot on the wing.  Farr and JoAnna Bishop (So. Burlington, VT) dropped in buckets to bring the Lasers back within six with 6:46 left in the half, but Samantha Hemmingway (Newport, NH) brought Keene's lead back to eight before a team timeout was called. 

After the time out, Laudano hit a quick three-ball to bring the visitors cushion back into double-digits, 26-15.  A three by Lasell's Kara Hinthorne (Rockland, MA) moments later kept Lasell alive, but just one minutes later at 4:31, Keene went on a 10-0 run, capped by another Laudano three to earn a 36-18 lead.   Farr interrupted the run with four free throws in back-to-back possessions, but Keene kept hitting, with McCain finding the hoop twice before the final second of the half.  Lasell was in arrears 40-22 as the teams broke for the intermission.

Laudano had 11 points for Keene at the half, shooting 4-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from downtown.  Farrell was also key for the Owls with seven points and five rebounds.  As a team, Keene shot an impressive 51.6% from the field on 16-of-31 chances, and an even more notable 55.6% from beyond the arc, connecting on 5-of-9 three-balls. 

Lasell had six points apiece from Farr and Vincelette at the break, while Farr led the Lasers on the glass with five boards.  The Lasers converted on 8-of-23 attempts for a 34.8% shooting percentage in the frame. 

Vincelette penetrated to the hoop for a layup to start the second period for Lasell. Mousette's second three of the game was tallied in the next possession but Ashley Slattery (Weymouth, MA) countered with a trifecta for the Lasers to bring the score to 43-27.  

Keene hit the 50-point mark six minutes into the second half on a Carnell layup through traffic and a Laudano jumper at 11:34 produced Keene's first 20-plus point advantage, 54-33. Lasell hung in, despite the continued strong shooting by the Owls, and was able to cut their debt down to 13, 61-48, on two Farr hits at the charity stripe. The score teetered around a 13-point spread through back-and-forth action before and an Elwell steal under the Lasers basket made way for a wide open layup, making the score 63-52 with 1:44 to play. 

With 45 seconds on the clock, Elwell was sent to the free throw line for 1-and-1, hitting both shots to bring the Lasers within nine points of the Owls. One free throw by Chelsea Rennie (Londonderry, NH) capped the scoring at a ten point spread. 

The Lasers finished the second period shooting 39.3% from the field on 11-of-28 shots while the Owls were right behind them with a 38.5% second half percentage (10-of-26).  Keene did maintain a healthy edge in rebounding, finishing the contest with 38 boards while Lasell collected 28.

The Lasers return to action on Saturday, January 28th at 1:00 p.m. when they'll host Emerson College in the Athletic Center.