Women's Basketball: Lasers battle to end in 73-65 setback at Albertus Magnus

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Freshman guard Jasmine DePina and senior forward Meg Carroll recorded a combined 24 points and 17 rebounds for the Lasell University women's basketball team Tuesday during a 73-65 setback in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action at Albertus Magnus.

"It was a good fight compared to our last game against Albertus," said Lasell University Women's Basketball Head Coach Kelley Sundberg. "We will continue to get better after this."

DePina recorded her second double-double of the season for the Lasers (7-9, 5-5 GNAC), finishing with a team-high 14 points and game-leading 11 rebounds. Carroll compiled 10 points and six boards, while freshman guard Juju Nealy (10 points) scored in double figures for the 12th straight game. Graduate student Peyton Young finished with nine points and a season-high seven boards off the bench. 

Jakara Murray-Leach led the way for the Falcons (10-8, 9-2 GNAC) with a game-high 27 points. She shot 10 of 17 from the field and 3 of 5 on 3-pointers. Katherine Raposo (13 points, game-high 5 steals) and Diamond White (12 points) played well for the hosts. Caitlyn Scott tallied 11 points, six rebounds, a game-high five assists and three steals, while shooting 9 of 10 from the free-throw line for Albertus.

The Falcons raced out to a 4-0 lead, but Lasell scored nine of the next 13 points, taking a 9-8 advantage on a layup by Nealy with 4:25 remaining in the first quarter. A 3-pointer by Murray-Leach with 39 seconds on the clock gave Albertus a 16-13 lead at the end of one.

Senior guard Marie Zampano put the Lasers back in front, 25-23, on a trey with 4:06 left in the second. The Falcons ended the half 11-4 run, as a layup by Jess Carney at the buzzer sent the hosts into intermission with a 34-29 cushion. 

The Falcons opened up a 47-33 lead on a trey by Natasha Rivera 4:03 into the third. Lasell kept chipping away and a second-chance layup by freshman forward Mia Sullivan-Sanders pulled the team to within seven at 50-43 with 1:34 left in the third. With 56 seconds left in the quarter, Lasell buried four straight free throws, two by Nealy and two by junior guard Sheridan Blaha, trimming the deficit down to 52-47. Albertus led, 56-47, heading into the fourth quarter.

DePina and Zampano had strong fourth quarters for the Lasers, combining for 12 points, five rebounds, three steals and one assist. Zampano knocked down two clutch jumpers, made a phenomenal entry pass and tallied a pivotal defensive steal. DePina showcased her versatility, scoring from distance and penetrating to the basket.

Young made a tremendous inbounds pass 45 seconds into the fourth, allowing DePina to convert an old-fashioned 3-point play and cutting the Falcons' advantage to 58-53. DePina did it on both ends of the floor, as she came up with a steal and converted a transition layup, trimming the deficit down to 65-59 with 3:19 on the scoreboard.

A left-of-the-arc trey by DePina made it a five-point game with 2:42 left, and then Sullivan-Sanders drilled a left-baseline 3-pointer with 1:54 remaining, shaving Albertus' lead down to 67-65. The Falcons scored the final six points to secure the win.

Both teams were efficient from the foul line, as Lasell shot 77.8% (7 of 9) and Albertus tallied a mark of 83.3% (15 for 18). The visitors shot 25 of 61 from the field (41.0%), while the hosts went 26 for 60 (43.3%). The Lasers held a 41-32 advantage in the rebounding action, while leading bench points, 18-7, and second-chance points, 12-7. 

The Lasers will travel to Chicopee, Massachusetts, for a 6 p.m. GNAC game against Elms Thursday.

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

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