Women's Basketball: Lasers' 2021-22 season recap

NEWTON, Mass. - The Lasell University women's basketball team won seven GNAC games during the 2021-22 season, the most conference victories for the program since the 2006-07 season, as the Lasers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16.

Lasell swept the two-game, home-and-home GNAC series from Rivier, Dean and Johnson & Wales. During November and December, the squad embarked on a four-game winning streak. The Lasers scored over 60 points 13 times and held eight opponents under 60.

Senior forward Meg Carroll became the first student-athlete in program history to be recognized as Division III National Player of the Week by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) on Dec. 7. The Douglas, Massachusetts, native was also named to the GNAC All-Conference second team, while garnering GNAC Player of the Week recognition twice.

Carroll recorded six double-doubles and averaged 15.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. In a 76-59 triumph over Northern Vermont University-Johnson, she set a program record with 39 points and pulled down a personal-best 20 rebounds, including 11 on the offensive glass. The 20 boards are the fourth most in a single game in the program's record book. Carroll shot 15 of 24 from the field during the game. The 15 made field goals are tied for the most in a single game in school history.

Freshman guard Juju Nealy finished with double digits in scoring 19 times, including 20 or more four times. She also knocked down two or more 3-pointers on 13 occasions.

Freshman guard Jasmine DePina finished with a program-record 27 rebounds during an 85-70 overtime win over Rivier on Jan. 22. She ranked first on the team and fifth in the GNAC in rebounds per game (9.3), to go along with 7.6 points, 2.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game. 

The Providence, Rhode Island, native scored in double figures eight times, including dropping a career-high 23 and hitting the game-winning layup with eight seconds left in a 58-55 triumph at Johnson & Wales on Feb. 17. DePina corralled double-digit rebounds 10 times and three or more steals on 13 occasions.

Senior guard Marie Zampano was a superb on-ball and team defender in a half-court setting, recording three or more steals four times in 2021-22. She added a complementary offensive punch, scoring six or more points 10 times and recording two double-digit performances. 

The 5-foot-4 guard recorded career-highs of 18 points, six made field goals and four made 3-pointers, while shooting 4 of 5 from downtown, during an 87-51 triumph over Fitchburg State on Dec. 9. Zampano also corralled a personal-best nine rebounds in a 76-59 triumph against Northern Vermont-Johnson on Nov. 30.

After returning from an early season injury, graduate student Peyton Young was a crucial force as the team's sixth man and a four-game starter. She scored eight or more points 10 times and grabbed double-digit rebounds three times. During a 58-55 win at Johnson & Wales on Feb. 17, she tallied a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards. 

Freshman forward Mia Sullivan-Sanders scored eight or more points eight times and pulled down eight or more boards on four occasions. She grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds against Elms on Feb. 7 and scored a personal-best 16 points in a 75-45 win over Dean on Dec. 11.

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

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