Basketball Comes Up Short At Lasell Saturday

NEWTON, Mass. – The University of Saint Joseph dropped a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball contest, 68-42, to the Lasell College Lasers on the road Saturday afternoon inside the Lasell Athletic Center. Senior Rajeen Mayo (Middletown, Conn.) led the way for the Blue Jays with a team-high 14 points and eight rebounds.

THE BASICS
Score: University of Saint Joseph - 42, Lasell College - 68
Records: USJ (8-14, 3-11 GNAC), LC (4-18, 2-12 GNAC)
Location: Newton, Mass. - Lasell Athletic Center
Date: Saturday, February 10, 2018

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The game was close for the first five minutes with Lasell leading by one point (7-6), but senior Morgan Church (New London, N.H.) scored eight straight points over the next three minutes, hitting a pair of three-pointers, to give the Lasers a 15-6 lead after one quarter.
• Mayo sank a free throw in the first minute of the second quarter, but USJ did not score again for the next six minutes while Lasell rattled off 16 consecutive points to push the lead to 24 points at 31-7.
• Six different Lasers scored during the streak, led by senior Brianna Hoffman (Milford, N.H.) with four points.
• The Blue Jays scored the final six points of the quarter to cut the deficit to 31-13 at the halftime intermission.
• Lasell maintained its 20-point margin most of the third quarter, reaching as high as 28 points (43-15) midway through the frame, and held a 19-point advantage (49-30) after three.
• That was as close as the Blue Jays would come as Lasell led by more than 20 throughout the fourth quarter en route to the 68-42 triumph.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Mayo led the Blue Jays with 14 points and eight rebounds, while freshman Anna Chevarella (Derby, Conn.) and senior Kayla Guest (Newington, Conn.) chipped in with eight points apiece.
• Church and sophomore Dana Ross (East Haven, Conn.) posted double-doubles to lead the way for the Lasers.
• Church poured in 27 points, making 5-of-10 three-point shots, and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Lasers, while Ross scored 10 points and collected a game-high 14 rebounds and three steals.
• Hoffman also reached double figures in scoring for the hosts with 12 points and freshman Devyn Markland (Derby, Conn.) was solid off the Laser bench with four points, nine rebounds, and four blocks.

UP NEXT
Both teams wind down their seasons next week with three straight road games. USJ begins the week traveling to Simmons College on Tuesday, Feb. 13 for a GNAC contest at 7 p.m. while Lasell visits Saint Joseph's College of Maine the same day for a conference match-up at 5:30 p.m.