Women's Basketball Drops Heartbreaker, 36-34 to Emerson

Newton, Mass. (01/30/13) - The Lasell College women's basketball team dropped a close Great Northeast Athletic Conference game to visiting Emerson College on Wednesday evening. The loss leaves Lasell at 8-11 on the year and 3-5 in conference play, while Emerson improves to 8-11 overall and 4-4 in the league.

Alexis Chappell (Springfield, Mass.) finished with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 13 rebounds for Lasell and Danielle Autencio (Montville, Conn.) added 10 points and seven boards for the Lasers. Shannon Norton (Middletown, N.J.) paced the Lions with a game-high 15 points and Catherine Cloutier (Metheun, Mass.) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds while adding five points for Emerson.

The low scoring defensive battle saw the teams trade baskets through the opening 14 minutes, as Lasell tied the game at 10-10 on an Autencio jumper. Emerson pulled ahead 16-10 on a pair of baskets by Katherine Brice (Indiana, Penn.) and a post bucket by Cloutier with 4:00 remaining in the opening half. Lasell responded by closing the half on a 10-0 run to take a 20-16 lead into the break.

Emerson pulled within one on four different occasions in the first 9:17 of the second half, but were never able to take the lead, trailing 26-25 with 10:43 to play.

Lasell built a 34-25 lead with 4:22 left in the contest courtesy of an 8-0 bookended by a pair of Chappell baskets. Shannon Norton capitalized on a Lasell turnover, knocking down a jumper with 3:22 to play to trim the hosts lead to 34-27.

After a trio of scoreless possessions by each team, Emerson's Norton found space at the top of the key and connected on a three pointer with 1:33 on the clock to cut the deficit to 34-30. A Lasell turnover lead to a transition lay-up for the Lions, cutting the Lasers lead to 34-32 with 1:21 remaining in the game. 

Lasell broke the full-court pressure and earned a trip to the line, but missed on the front end of a one-and-one to give Emerson a chance to take the lead. Norton found herself open in front of her bench and hit from behind the arc to give her team their first lead since the latter part of the first half with 41 seconds to play.

Lasell saw their attempt to answer roll of the rim, but forced a turnover with nine seconds to go in the game, but were unable to convert. Cloutier added a free throw with 4.8 seconds remaining to go ahead 36-34, and Lasell was unable to connect on a last second opportunity.