Late Field Goal Lifts Lasell Past Suffolk in Men's Hoops

Boston, MA -- Sophomore Angel Ortiz (East Lyme, Conn.) hit the game-winning basket with three seconds on the clock to give the Lasell College Lasers a 66-64 victory over the Suffolk University men's Basketball action on Saturday afternoon.

Ortiz finished with a game-high 24 points as the Lasers held off a late charge by the Rams for their fifth win of the season as they improve to a 4-11 mark in GNAC play.

Senior Matt Pepdjonovic (Quincy, Mass.) recorded his 55th career double-double for Suffolk as he finished with 13 points and led all rebounders with 12 in the game for the Rams.

Ortiz finished the game 7-for-16 from the field, including 4-for-8 from three-point land and 6-for-7 from the free-throw line. He paced a Lasers' attack that took a 38-36 lead into halftime as he finished the half with 10 points.

Sophomore Mike Vallone (Wallingford, Conn.) scored all 12 of his points in the first half for the Lasers as he had five assists in the period.

Ortiz and the Lasers came right out in the second half as the sophomore guard opened the period with a three-pointer to push the Lasell lead to five points. With 6:31 remaining in the game, Ortiz would connect on a jumper to give the Lasers their largest lead of the contest at 10 points, 60-50. 

From there the Rams would go on a 12-2 run over the next three minutes to even things up at 62-62 when freshman Adam Chick (Northbrook, Ill.) took a feed from senior Chris Torres (Brockton, Mass.) for a layup and was fouled. Chick would connect on the ensuing free-throw to tie the game up. 

Both teams would go back and forth on their following possesions as junior Chris Canino (Hartford, Conn.) connected on a pair of throws to put Lasell back up by a pair before sophomore Matt Powers (Westwood, Mass.) would answer with a put back after he grabbed an offensive rebound to make it a 64-64 game.

Both teams would squander a pair of possesions over the next minute and fifty seconds before Ortiz came through with the clutch shot to drop the Rams to an 8-13 mark on the year.

Suffolk now falls to 6-8 in GNAC play on the year.

Lasell finished the game with three players recording double digits in scoring. Ortiz led all scorers in the game with his 24, while Vallone scored his dozen points in the first half to go along with a team-high six assists. Cannino finished the game with 13 points and had a team-high 11 boards. Freshman Logan Liberty (Duxbury, Vt.) finished with seven points on 3-for-5 shooting from the field and added eight rebounds.

As a team, the Lasers finished the game 10-for-12 from the free-throw line.

Pepdjonovic and Chick each scored 13 points in the game for the Rams, while Torres added 12 points. Senior Colin Halpin (Melrose, Mass.) added 10 points and six rebounds for Suffolk.

Both teams will be back in GNAC action on Tuesday evening. Lasell College will play host to the St. Joseph's College Monks at 7:30pm. Suffolk welcomes Anna Maria College to the Regan Gymnasium for an 8:00pm tip-off.