WBB: Albertus Magnus outlasts Lasell

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Behind a team-high 24 points from junior Shyla Osmond (New Haven, Conn.), the Albertus Magnus College women's basketball team topped Lasell College Thursday evening, 78-58, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) clash at "The Nest".

The Falcons remain undefeated at home (8-0), improving to 17-2 overall and 5-1 in the GNAC, while Lasell drops to 5-11 overall and 0-4 in conference play.

The Lasers had three players score in double figures, led by graduate student Breanna Muir (Wareham, Mass.) who finished with 16 points. Junior Amanda Ortiz (Newton, Mass.). tallied 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds, and junior D'Asia Allen (Providence, R.I.) added 12 points off the bench.

Osmond made 11-of-19 shots for the Falcons while collecting eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Jill Johnson (North Haven, Conn.) and Kristin Cunning (Hoboken, N.J.) add 15 points apiece, while Andreah Orr (Danbury, Conn.) and Rah Rah Thompson (Bridgeport, Conn.) contributed 12 and 17 rebounds, respectively.

A three-pointer by Muir with three minutes to go in the first quarter tied the game at 8-8, but Albertus pulled ahead 17-11 by the end of the quarter. A three by graduate student Imani Bumpus (Dedham, Mass.) early in the second quarter sliced the margin in half, but Albertus went on a 12-5 run to push the advantage up to double digits, 29-19.

Lasell pulled to within four points (31-27) with 2:24 on the clock on a pair of layups by sophomore Meg Carroll (Douglas, Mass.), who returned from an injury, and got to within one point on a three-ball from Allen before the home team made a late basket to take a 35-32 lead at the break.

The Lasers stayed within striking distance in the third quarter before Albertus pulled ahead 45-35 with four minutes remaining. A late basket by Ortiz pulled Lasell to within nine points, 52-43, after three. The hosts hit an early three in the fourth quarter and outscored the Lasers 26-15 the rest of the way to seal the win.

Lasell returns home to host GNAC foe Anna Maria College on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at the Athletic Center. Albertus continues GNAC play on Saturday with a road showdown at Emmanuel College (3:00 p.m.)

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