WBK: Carroll outscores Raiders in the fourth en route to first GNAC victory

Nashua, N.H. – Senior Meg Carroll (Douglas, Mass.) scored 28 points and added 15 rebounds to propel the Lasell University Lasers women's basketball team to a 72-67 victory over the Rivier University Raiders, In a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup, Thursday at the Muldoon Center.

Freshman Juju Nealy (Fitchburg, Mass.) scored 14 points as the only other Laser in double figures.

Freshamn Alexa Dufries (Leicester, Mass.) led the Raiders with 24 points and sophomore Lyric Grumblatt (Manchester, N.H.) scored 23 points and added five steals. Junior Heather Ries (Mont Vernon, N.H.) and freshman Jessica Carrier (Manchester, N.H.) both had 10 rebounds apiece.

Both teams traded baskets for the first five minutes of the first quarter until consecutive three-pointers by senior Brooke Damboise (Bolton, Conn.) gave the Lasers a seven-point cushion. The Raiders answered right back with consecutive threes by Dufries. Lasell got the lead back up to six with 36 seconds left and the Raiders scored the last five points to end the quarter. Grumblatt and Dufries combined for all 21 of the Raiders points in the first quarter.

The tightly contested affair continued in the second quarter with neither side able to pull away. The biggest lead of the second quarter was with 2:38 left after a Grumblatt made an and-one converting the free throw giving Rivier a one-point lead and the lead was pushed to four on a three by sophomore Anna Stenger (Weare, N.H.). Lasell played strong defense for the rest of the quarter holding the Raiders off the board and going on a 5-0 run to end the quarter to take a one-point lead into half.

Rivier after taking the lead from Lasell with just past three minutes gone in the second half, held that for much of the quarter. The Lasers held the lead for small chunks of the quarter and got the game tied a few times, but the Raiders held control for much of the third. Junior Sheridan Blaha (Waltham, Mass.) was able to just beat the buzzer with a layup to give Lasell a two-point lead and only their second lead since Rivier took the lead with seven minutes remaining.

The fourth quarter belonged to Carroll who was dominant to close out the game. She scored 14 of her 28 in the final frame on 7-8 shooting and was able to outscore the Raiders by herself in the quarter. She was responsible for all but one of the Lasers points in the fourth. Every time that Rivier got points on the board Carroll answered with a bucket of her own. She put the game out of reach with 16 seconds remaining when she made a layup to make it a two-possession game and ultimately the five-point victory.

Both teams were evenly match throughout the game and that was evident with 12 ties and 10 lead changes. All stats were even between the two sides as well except Lasell held a 22-point advantage in points in the paint.

The Lasers will be back in action on Thursday, December 9, when they play host to Fitchburg State. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.