GNAC Frontrunner Albertus Magnus Tops Men's Hoops 86-78

The Lasers drop to 13-8 on the season and 10-4 in conference games with their first loss in three showings, while the Falcons use their second consecutive victory to improve to 16-4 and 12-2 in league play.

Senior Armin Omanovic (Wilkesboro, N.C.) led three Laser scorers in double figures with 24 points on 10-of-32 shooting, while sophomore Tim Blair (Newington, Conn.) added 12 of his 21 points from beyond the arc. Senior John Powell (Ashland, Mass.) scored 16 points and was one of five Lasell players with six or more rebounds.

Junior Derek McMahon (Hatfield, Mass.) dished out a game-high seven assists to go along with his nine points, while Powell recorded all four of the Lasers' blocks.

Four Albertus players in doubles scored 12 or more points, including senior Devin Coleman (Bridgeport, Conn.) who scored 21. Sophomore Ryan Pittman (Stratford, Conn.) added 19 points and nine rebounds, while junior Jaqhwan Walters (Hartford, Conn.) scored 17 and added a whopping 19 boards.

Neither side led by more than a handful through the first half of the opening period, but the visitors staged a 10-0 run right after the halfway mark and led by a 45-41 count at halftime. Albertus scored the game's first four points before the Lasers responded with eight straight points, including a three from Omanovic for their first lead of the game with 16:43 left.

Lasell's largest lead of the game was only four as the teams traded baskets for several minutes thereafter before the Falcons posted separate 7-0 and 10-0 runs to extend the score. The first run broke a 15-15 tie, but Omanovic answered with his second of two first-half triples to bring the Lasers within one. On the second run, Pittman scored seven points, including a jumper that gave Albertus a ten-point lead with 8:14 left.

A 14-3 run brought the Lasers back within two points with just over five minutes to play in the half as junior Ryan Jones (North Weymouth, Mass.) and Blair both hit threes and McMahon and Powell each sank a pair of free throws. However, three of the Falcons' final five field goals in the half were threes, equaling the four-point halftime advantage.

The Falcons added to their lead with the first basket of the second half, but a pair of layups by Powell and one by Omanovic allowed the Lasers to tie the score at 47-47 just 1:59 in. Another trade of baskets made the score 49-49 before Albertus moved its lead ahead again before the ten-minute marker.

The visitors kept their distance for the remainder of the final period as Walters scored 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, although the Lasers used 13 second-half points on three triples from Blair and ten more from Omanovic to remain within striking distance. Blair brought the Lasers within seven with 8:07 to play, but Albertus' 9-3 run that ended with less than five minutes left made the score insurmountable.

Five different Lasell players scored baskets as part of a 10-0 run that brought the score within three, but senior Grant Ellis (Newark, N.J.) hit a three with 38 seconds to play as the Falcons scored eight of the last 11 points.

Both teams are on the road for their next contests on Tuesday, February 7 at 7:00 p.m. The Lasers make the short road trip into Boston to face Suffolk, while the Falcons visit Mount Ida.