BANGOR, Maine – Junior Kevin Nunez (Dorchester, Mass.) scored a team-high 26 points Thursday evening to lead the Lasell University men's basketball team past Husson University, 88-69, in the semester finale at Newman Gymnasium.
Nunez connected of 10-of-16 shots, including all four from three-point range, for his third straight 20-plus point performance and fourth in the last five outings. Senior Stefan Masciarelli (Northbridge, Mass.) added 19 points, four rebounds and five assists, and junior Jonathan Friberg (North Attleboro, Mass.) put up a season-high 18 points (on 8-of-12 shooting) and six boards.
Sophomore Justice Kendall (Baltimore, Md.) led the Eagles with 15 points, while classmate Jason Thompson (East Millinocket, Maine) added 12 points and junior DJ Bussey (Peoria, Ariz.) chipped in with 10.
It was no more than a two-possession game for the first 10 minutes of the game, with Lasell holding an 18-16 margin at the midway point. The Lasers were up just one point (25-24) with five minutes remaining before going on a 11-2 run to open up a double-digit margin (36-26), led by junior Kevin Vanderhorst (Lawrence, Mass.) with five of the 11 points.
Lasell had its largest lead, 40-28, after a Nunez dunk with 1:20 on the clock, but the hosts scored eight unanswered points in the final 80 seconds, including a pair of three-pointers by sophomore Brett Cunningham (Harrah, Okla.), to slice the deficit to just four points at the break, 40-36.
Husson got to within two points early in the second half, but Lasell regained its double-digit lead with a 10-1 run, pulling ahead 52-41. The Lasers led by 14 at the midway point of the second half (66-52), and the Eagles got no closer than 11 the rest of the way before winning by 19.
Lasell ended up shooting a season-high 59 percent for the game (36-of-61) and out-rebounded the Eagles, 34-26.
After a break for final exams and the holidays, Lasell returns to action on Saturday, January 4, 2020, back in the state of Maine with a non-conference game at UMaine Farmington at 3 p.m.
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