Men's Basketball Outlasts Mount Ida 84-77

NEWTON, Mass. (12/5/15) – The Lasell men's basketball team picked up a crucial 84-77 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) victory against the visiting Mustangs of Mount Ida College on Saturday afternoon in the Athletic Center Gymnasium. With the win, the Lasers remain undefeated in the conference at 2-0 and climb to 4-3 overall, while the Mustangs drop to 0-2 in league play and shift to 4-3 this season.

STAT LEADERS FOR LASELL

• Junior guard Armin Omanovic (Wilkesboro, Mass.) used a record-breaking 22 points from the free throw line to go along with a game-high 31 points overall. Omanovic dished out four assists on the transition, and grabbed six rebounds in the winning performance.
• Senior forward Pat Marchand (Cranston, R.I.) registered his third double-double in a row with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore guard Scott Arsenault (Walpole, Mass.) followed with 18 points.
  
  

STAT LEADERS FOR MOUNT IDA

• Sophomore forward Patrick McKearney (Avon, Conn.) scored a season-high 28 points while turning his fourth double-double of the year with 11 additional rebounds. McKearney stood tall for three blocks on the day and conceded just two turnovers.
• Sophomore guard Jayson Clark (Austin, Texas) was just short of double figures with 11 points and nine caroms, while sophomore guard John Oliver (North Babylon, N.Y.) contributed with 14 points off the bench.
  
  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Mustangs started the contest on a 5-0 run in the first half, and held on for a 16-14 lead after Oliver sank 1-of-2 shots from the charity stripe. After the Mustangs missed a pair free throw opportunities, Marchand grabbed the defensive board and set up Arsenault for a deep three, where the Lasers stole the lead for the game's remainder. Lasell took its largest lead of the game (32-20) following a shot from downtown by junior forward Yordan Villalon (Miami, Fla.) as both teams headed into the halftime break.
• With 2:38 left to go in regulation, McKearney rattled off five points to pull within four (72-69) only to be answered by three points from Lasell. After an out-of-bounds dribble for the Lasers, Oliver gave the Mustangs hope with a deep three via a pass sophomore guard Joey DeFillippi (Bristol, Conn.). The Lasers, however, added the last six points to the scoreboard – all from the free throw line – to come out on top 84-77.
  
  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Omanovic helped the Lasers outshoot the Mustangs from the free throw line 84.2% to 64.7%, while Mount Ida held a slim 44.6% to 40.7% advantage in baskets from the floor.
  
  

WHAT'S NEXT

• Both teams return to home-court action on Tuesday, December 8 at 7:00 p.m. The Lasers will host Wheelock College in a non-conference matchup, while the Mustangs search for their first conference win again Saint Joseph's College of Maine.