Lights Out Shooting in Final Quarter Sends Rams over Women's Hoops 84-42

NEWTON, Mass. (1/21/16) – The visiting Rams of Framingham State University defeated the Lasell women's basketball team 84-42 in non-conference action Thursday evening in the Athletic Center. With the setback the Lasers shift to 9-8 overall, while the Rams advance to 11-5 this season.

STAT LEADERS FOR LASELL

Senior guard Deanna Barrett (Berlin, Conn.) controlled the offense for the hosts with 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting from the floor, while sophomore Madison Cota (Bellow Falls, Vt.) followed with 11 points on the night. Senior guard Katie Stopera (Hollis, N.H.) grabbed a team-best nine boards from the glass and dished out two assists on the transition.

STAT LEADERS FOR FRAMINGHAM

For the Rams, sophomore guard Reagan Mulherin (Baldwinville, Mass.) poured in a game-high 27 points on 11-of-22 shooting, scoring 15 points from three-point territory. Mulherin added eight rebounds to her stellar performance, including six boards from the defensive side. Two additional players turned double-doubles in the victory for the Rams, as junior guard Monta Connolly (Lynn, Mass.) scored 12 points with 14 boards, while junior forward Alycia Rackliffe (Feeding Hills, Mass.) registered 11 points with 10 rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

Holding the Lasers to just seven points in the first quarter, the Rams continued to press offensively to hold a 32-9 advantage after two freebies from sophomore guard Lauren Donahue (Attleboro, Mass.). A jumper from Cota sparked an offensive burst for the home team, where she joined Barrett in a montage of baskets to pull within 14 (34-20) with 2:01 until halftime.

After the break, the court showed a lull in activity as 2:10 expired on the game clock before Cota and Barrett teamed up again for back-to-back field goals. With 17 seconds left in the third quarter, sophomore guard Morgan Church (New London, N.H.) connected on a layup for Lasell, however that was the last point the Lasers would see until the final 25 seconds of the contest. The Rams scored 21 unanswered points in the final quarter of play – 15 from behind the arc – before freshman Taylor Hughey (Redding, Calif) sunk a three-pointer to close out the contest in favor of the Rams, 84-42.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

Neither team shot beyond 40% from the floor, as the Rams shot 37.2% compared to 24.6% from Lasell. The Rams held a 58-45 advantage on the glass, and scored 21 points off the offensive rebound. Framingham's 29 points came off Lasell's 25 turnovers, and in turn gave up 10 points on its own turnovers.

WHAT'S UP NEXT

Both teams resume the court on Saturday, January 23 at 1:00 p.m. The Lasers will head to Boston, Mass. for a local conference matchup with Suffolk University, while the Rams square off with Worcester State inside the gym of Worcester Polytechnic Institute.