Newton, Mass. (01/12/13) – The Lasell College women's basketball team opened Great Northeast Athletic Conference play with a 65-47 victory over Johnson and Wales University. The Lasers evened their overall record at 6-6 on the year and are 1-0 in the league after the win, while Johnson and Wales slipped to 4-9 on the year and 1-1 in conference play.
Freshmen Molly Lauver (Cambridge, N.Y.) scored a career-high 33 points, on 6-7 shooting from three point land. Sophomore Alexis Chappell (Springfield, Mass.) tallied 11 points and eight rebounds for Lasell, while senior Kim Archibald (Lewiston, Me.) scored eight points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
Justine Hughes (New York, N.Y.) led the Wildcats attack with 14 points, and Nattalie DiCocco (Media, Pa.) finished with 10 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Lasell shot 46.9% from the field and hit 7-9 from distance, while holding Johnson and Wales to 22% shooting including 1-20 from three point land.
Lauver scored 10 points in the opening 15 minutes to help Lasell open up a 22-9 lead. JWU knocked down four straight free throws to trim the deficit to 22-13. The two teams traded baskets over the final three minutes to make the score 27-19 at the half.
Leading 32-23 with 18 minutes to play, Lasell went on an 11-2 run over a four minute span to open up an 18 point edge at 43-25. JWU scored to trim the deficit to 16, but the Wildcats would get no closer the rest of the way as Lasell closed out the conference victory, 65-47.
Johnson and Wales will return to action on January 17th, when they host St. Joseph's (Conn. ) at 7:00 p.m. Lasell will visit St. Joseph's (Conn.) on January 15th for a 7:00 p.m. conference match-up.