Williams and Harper Team Up for 52 Points in 83-57 Defeat of Emmanuel

BOSTON, MA- A combined 52 points and 22 rebounds from junior Javon Williams (Mattapan, MA) and senior Derrick Harper (Boston, MA) led the Lasell College men's basketball team to an 83-57 defeat of Emmanuel College on Tuesday night.  The Lasers improve to 4-9 this season while the Saints drop to 4-8.  Both teams stand at 3-4 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play.

Williams recorded three game-high marks in the contest by producing 30 points, six assists, and four blocks.  The junior forward shot 12-for-18 from the field and 6-for-6 from the line while also adding eight rebounds to his outstanding performance.   Harper contributed his fourth season double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while also picking up four steals.

Sophomore guards Sean Bertanza (Seymour, CT) and Jordan Fuller (Oviedo, FL) were also key components to Lasell's success against the Saints.  Bertanza recorded 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and four steals while Fuller added five assists, five points, and a game-high seven steals.

On the Saints side, freshman Theo Robinson (Springfield, MA) recorded a program record 19 rebounds as well as a team-best 16 points and three steals.  Armani Gill (Boston, MA) was the only other Emmanuel player to tally double-figures, ending the game with 10 points. 

D.J. Fazio (Methuen, MA) sank two-of-three free throws to commence scoring in the contest after being fouled beyond the arc one minute into play.  Harper evened the playing field moments later with an easy layup for Lasell.  The Lasers then exploded into a 17-2 run which pulled the visitors ahead by 14 points at 13:35.  Williams produced eight points during that stretch and Harper added seven.

Tony Carter-Hill (Baltimore, MD) and Nate Jackson (Middleboro, MA) responded with a quick five points for the Saints, but the Lasers persisted, extending their lead to a score of 29-9 by the 11 minute mark. 

A 7-0 run by Emmanuel brought the hosts back within 13 points on two buckets by Andre Fuller (Troy, NY) and three points by Robinson.  Lasell remained out of reach though, returning to a 17 point lead on a Richie King (Carver, MA) three and jumpers by Fuller and Harper to end the half at 43-26.

Lasell already had three players in double-figures at the break, with Williams leading all scorers with 16, Harper following with 11, and Bertanza adding 10. As a team, the Lasers shot an impressive 51.5% in the period, connecting on 17-of-33 chances from the floor.  Emmanuel had capitalized on just 11-of-30 shots, finishing with a shooting percentage of 36.7% in the half.

Jordan Fuller pulled Lasell further out of reach to start the second period with a pair of freebies to give the Lasers a 19 point cushion. Consecutive and-one plays by Williams and freshman Robert Roy (Dover, NH) gave Lasell a 60-37 lead at 12:51. Just one minute later, a defensive board by Bertanza converted into a fast break by Harper brought the distance between the teams to 25 points.

The Lasers never let down, pushing hard on the floor to take a 30-point edge on a Brett Heimann (Miami, FL) three-pointer from King with 3:34 left to play. Harper gave Lasell their largest margin of the game a minute later on a bucket-plus-one, making the score 83-52.  Gill scored the final five points of the game for the Saints on two free throws and a three-pointer.

Lasell won the battle in the paint scoring 32 points down low while the Saints scored just 24 on their end.  The Lasers also recorded 33 points off of Emmanuel's 21 turnovers, and managed to hold their own miscues down to just 16.  Emmanuel won the battle on the boards overall, 47-44, but Lasell was unstoppable on the offensive end, converting on 32-of-66 opportunities (48.5%) while Emmanuel struck on 24-of-71 chances (33.8%).

The Lasers return home on Thursday, January 20^th for their next contest.  Lasell will face non-conference foe Keene State College at 7:30 p.m. in the Athletic Center.