Men's Basketball: Lasers' 2021-22 season recap

NEWTON, Mass. - There were plenty of milestones during an immensely successful 2021-22 season for the Lasell University men's basketball program. 

The Lasers went 15-11 overall and 11-7 in the GNAC on their way to earning the third seed in the conference tournament. The unit won a quarterfinal-round game against sixth-seeded Norwich, 69-57, on Feb. 23 in an electric atmosphere at the Athletic Center, and then advanced to the semifinals of the tournament.

Head Coach Aaron Galletta picked up his 200th career win on Feb. 15 in a 65-55 triumph at Regis in Weston, Massachusetts. Galletta's superb coaching led the 2021-22 Lasers to never lose more than two games in a row. Kevin Nunez was selected as the 16th pick by Indios de San Francisco, a professional team in the Dominican Republic, during the 2022 Liga Nacional de Baloncesto draft.

EJ Day, Nunez and Kevin Vanderhorst all reached 1,000 collegiate points during the 2021-22 season, as they were named to the GNAC All-Conference first, second and third team, respectively. Day garnered National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division III All-District second team recognition. Vanderhorst, Nunez and Jonathan Friberg each took home one GNAC Player of the Week award.

During Lasell's annual awards in May, Day earned the Athlete of the Year honor and Vanderhorst was named the institution's Torchbearer winner. Off the court, Vanderhorst made an inspirational recovery from cancer during his time as a Laser and has now been cancer-free for more than three years. He has been a source of inspiration for the men's basketball program and the entire Lasell campus.

Vanderhorst's 12.6 rebounds per game in 2021-22 were the second-best mark in a single season in program history and was the second-highest average in the GNAC. The Lawrence, Massachusetts, native averaged 11.2 career rebounds per game as a Laser, putting him first in the category in the program's record book.

Day reached double figures in points during 24-of-26 games, including scoring 20 or more points 15 times. During a semifinal-round matchup at Albertus Magnus in the GNAC Tournament, he equaled a career-high 45 points, tied for the second-most points in a game in program history. Day set career-highs in made field goals and 3-pointers, as he shot 15 of 26 from the field and 7 for 14 on 3-pointers.

Nunez recorded three double-doubles during the 2021-22 season. He scored in double figures 19 times, including finishing with 22 or more on seven occasions. After an injury, Friberg returned for the final five games and was a pivotal component in the playoff run. He grabbed double-digit boards in all five games and scored double figures in three of them.

 
Director of Athletic Communications Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lasell.edu.

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