Newton, MA- Kim Archibald (Lewiston, ME) led the Lasers with a 12 point, 12 rebound performance but it was the Albertus Magnus Falcons who pushed for a 71-50 Great Northeast Athletic Conference victory tonight at the Lasell College Athletic Center. The Lasers finished the day with a 4-10 overall record while the Falcons boost their slate to 5-9.
Albertus' Krystal Bryant (New Haven, CT) produced a game-best 18 rebounds, 12 of which she collected in the first half, to go along with 13 points, three assists and three steals, providing a strong all-around performance for the Falcons. Liz Williams (West Haven, CT) finished with a game-high 15 points, grabbing eight boards off the glass for the visitors as well. Also adding to the away team's win was Shanalya Bush (New Haven, CT) with 14 points, three assists, and four rebounds, and Kendrea Walker who made six steals to add to eight points and seven boards.
On the Lasers' side Katie Farr (Rindge, NH) replicated Archibald's 12 points while adding three assists and two steals to the mix. Junior guard Brittany Jefferies (Gaffney, SC) also gave Lasell a solid eight point performance while pulling down four boards.
The opening ten minutes were tight as both teams distributed a balanced offense, bringing the game to a standstill at 12-all. It was with 5:50 left that Lasell broke through for a two-point lead at 18-16. Albertus regained control of the board with a baseline three-pointer by Williams shortly thereafter, which shot the Falcons into an 11-0 run, bringing the score to 27-18 before the halftime break.
Upon opening the second half, the Falcons retained their momentum and continued to jump ahead. It was not until the 13 minute mark when Farr caught fire for the Lasers, draining a long three from the top of the arc, followed by a jumper at the elbow in the play immediately following. Farr's second three-point field goal was moments later as Kelsey Converse (Laconia, NH) found Farr in the corner to release a nothing-but-net trey. Archibald hit two free throws with 11 minutes on the clock to make it a ten-point game at 48-38.
The Falcons found a renewed energy at this point and were able to capitalize on their significant rebounding margin to get second and third chance opportunities. Albertus out-rebounded Lasell 59-28 in the contest, including 25-8 in offensive boards. Bush was a strong contender for the visitors in the second half, putting up ten of her total points in final period.
Lasell drops to 1-3 in the league and Albertus moves up to 3-1. The Lasers' next contest is Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. in the Athletic Center against non-conference Trinity College.