NEWTON, Mass. – Two standouts on the Lasell University men's basketball team earned post-season honors from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) on Monday with selection to the 2019-20 All-Conference Team.
Junior forward Kevin Vanderhorst (Lawrence, Mass./Lawrence) and sophomore guard EJ Day (Norwalk, Conn./Brien McMahon) were Lasell's representatives on the All-GNAC Team, both earning Third Team honors. The All-Conference Teams are selected by a vote of the GNAC's 12 head coaches.
In addition, Day was named to the GNAC All-Tournament Team following Sunday's championship game, and junior Keith Poitier (Hartford, Conn./Sports and Medical Sciences) was Lasell's representative on the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
A 5-8 guard, Day averaged 25.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 16 games since becoming active at the mid-season break. He shot 48.4 percent from the field (132-of-273), 43.3 percent from three-point range (45-of-104) and 78.8 percent from the free throw line (93-of-118). Day averaged 25.2 points in conference play, second-best in the GNAC, and 5.1 assists against GNAC opponents, fourth-best in the league. Day scored in double-figures in all 16 games he played in, pouring in at least 20 points in 11 games, at least 30 in six outings, and a season-best 45 points in a win over Regis College.
A 6-3 forward, Vanderhorst averaged 15.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for the Lasers, shooting 50 percent from the field (161-of-322), 41.9 percent from three-point range (36-of-86) and 70 percent from the free throw line (70-of-100). He finished second in the GNAC in rebounding, 12th in scoring, and eighth in 3-point field goal percentage. Vanderhorst posted 15 double-doubles in his 27 outings, 14th-most in the NCAA Division III, and he ranked 28th nationally in rebounds per game. He scored in double figures in all but two games this season and collected double-digit rebounds 16 times.
Lasell finished the season with a 10-17 overall record under 14th-year head coach Aaron Galletta, and finished in a four-way tie for fourth place in the GNAC with a 6-5 mark. The sixth-seeded Lasers upset third-seeded Emmanuel College in the GNAC Tournament quarterfinal, but suffered a heartbreaking loss in the semifinals to second-seeded Albertus Magnus College.
2019-20 All-GNAC Men's Basketball Team
FIRST TEAM
Jahmerikah Green-Younger, Albertus Magnus
Mike Rapoza, Anna Maria
Delshawn Jackson Jr., St. Joseph (Conn.)
Jaecee Martin, St. Joseph (Conn.)
Jack Casale, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
SECOND TEAM
Dana Bean, Colby-Sawyer
Marcus Fox, Emmanuel (Mass.)
Emmett Riddick, Emmanuel (Mass.)
Brian Hogan-Gary, Johnson & Wales (RI)
Jordan Powell, St. Joseph (Conn.)
THIRD TEAM
Bobby Perette, Anna Maria
Tyreek Perkins, Albertus Magnus
EJ Day, Lasell
Kevin Vanderhorst, Lasell
Thomas Duffy, Suffolk
PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Jack Casale, Saint Joseph's College of Maine
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Jaecee Martin, St. Joseph (Conn.)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – Taelon Martin, St. Joseph (Conn.)
COACH OF THE YEAR – Shawn Conrad, Anna Maria
INSTITUTIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD – Anna Maria College
ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM
Jack Ryan, Albertus Magnus
Javon Smith, Anna Maria
Pat Coffey, Colby-Sawyer
Zachary Crisafulli, Emmanuel
Bryan Davis, Johnson & Wales
Keith Poitier, Lasell
Josh Dumay, Norwich
Gibou Njie, Regis
Joshua L'Heureux, Rivier
Ryan O'Neill, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Zac Manoogian , Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Cameron Powers, Suffolk
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