Women's Basketball: Lasers improve to 6-6 in GNAC with 50-38 win over Johnson & Wales

NEWTON, Mass. - The Lasell University women's basketball team won with defense Saturday afternoon, as the Lasers held Johnson & Wales scoreless for the entire second quarter during a 50-38 Great Northeast Athletic Conference triumph in the Athletic Center.

"We had some great efforts from a few of our players coming off of the bench," said Lasell University Women's Basketball Head Coach Kelley Sundberg. "It was great to win as we keep growing and getting better as a team."

Freshman guard Juju Nealy dropped a game-high 14 points for the Lasers (8-10, 6-6 GNAC), scoring in double figures for the 14th straight game. She shot 3 of 6 from beyond the 3-point line. Lasell held the Wildcats (2-14, 2-8 GNAC) off the scoreboard for a period of 12:44, covering the entire second quarter and the opening 2:44 of the third.

Lasell finished with 16 steals, forcing Johnson & Wales into 27 turnovers. Freshman forward Mia Sullivan-Sanders coninued to give the Lasers production off the bench, finishing with six points, eight rebounds, five steals and two assists. The five steals were a career-high and the eight rebounds tied a personal record. Senior guard Marie Zampano (7 points, career-high 4 steals) and junior guard Sheridan Blaha (5 points, 3 rebounds) also gave the hosts strong minutes.

"We are coming off of a couple losses, but came into this game strong with our defense," said Zampano. "Our defense is what led us to this win."

Peyton Oliver compiled a game-high 13 rebounds for the Wildcats and Naheema Walker tallied a team-high eight points, shooting 4 of 7 from the field.

The Wildcats scored the first six points of the game, but the Lasers settled in and evened the score at 10-10 on a jumper by Zampano with 40 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Lasell won the second quarter, 16-0, as Nealy erupted for 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field and a 3-for-3 effort from beyond the arc. A three-ball by Blaha with 43 seconds on the clock sent Lasell into halftime with a 26-12 advantage. 

After producing with her offense in the second quarter, Nealy did it on the defensive end during the second half, drawing two charges with great defensive rotations. Sullivan-Sanders scored the final four points of the third quarter and gave the hosts a 36-24 cushion heading into the final 10 minutes.

Johnson & Wales cut the deficit to six with 3:52 left in regulation, and then Zampano drilled a crucial 3-point shot, allowing the Lasers to take a 44-35 lead with 3:28 remaining. After Johnson & Wales came to within seven, Lasell put the game out of reach with six consecutive points, building a 50-37 lead with 1:03 left.

Lasell held a 24-2 advantage in points off turnovers, while leading bench-points, 17-10, and rebounds, 40-35. The hosts also finished with advantages in points in the paint, 18-14, and second-chance points, 10-6.

The Lasers will take on GNAC-rival Elms Monday at 7 p.m. in the Athletic Center.

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

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