First Half Surge Sends Trailblazers Past Women's Hoops 85-72

NEWTON, Mass. (11/30/15) – The visiting Trailblazers of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts bested the Lasell women's basketball team 85-72 Monday evening in the Athletic Center. The Trailblazers climb to 4-2 on the season while the Lasers drop down to 3-3.

STAT LEADERS FOR LASELL

• Senior guard Deanna Barrett (Berlin, Conn.) registered a career-high and game-best 28 points on 10-for-17 shooting to go along with 4-for-9 shooting from long range. On the transition Barrett dished out four assists and pulled down six rebounds.
• Senior Katie Stopera (Hollis, N.H.) packed the stat sheet with 21 points, also shooting 4-for-9 from downtown. The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) player of the week yielded just a single turnover and added six helpers and two steals.
  
  

STAT LEADERS FOR MCLA

• MCLA had a trio of players reach double-digits in the effort, highlighted by junior guard Courtney McLaughlin (Pittsfield, Mass.) with 25 points on 10-for-18 shooting.
• Junior guard Ashley Clawson (Tolland, Conn.) contributed with 17 points and four steals, while junior guard Kayla Hotaling (Ravena, N.Y.) rounded out MCLA's hot shooting with 15 points.
  
  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• MCLA used 66.7% shooting in the first half to outscore the Lasers 53-31, holding a lead as large as 25 points. The Trailblazers forced 14 turnovers in the run, and grabbed 10 defensive rebounds on the conversion.
• The Lasers bounced back in second half to string together 41 points on 16-of-32 from the field.
• A 9-0 run in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter - led by five points from Stopera – put the Lasers within 10 at 72-62 only to be answered by five points from McLaughlin, where the Trailblazers held on to the lead for an eventual 85-72 victory.
  
  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• MCLA outshot the Lasers on all units of the floor, going 33-for-60 from field goal range, 50.0% from downtown and 91.7% from the charity stripe.
• The Trailblazers took 31 points off Lasell's 22 turnovers, while the Lasers edged the visitors in second change points 11-6.
  
  

WHAT'S NEXT

• The Lasers will cap their home-court stint on Thursday, December 3 when the host a tough Westfield State team at 6:00 p.m., while the Trailblazers welcome Utica College on Wednesday, December 2 at 7:00 p.m.