PROVIDENCE, R.I. (2/1/14) – The Lasell College women's basketball squad grabbed a hard fought 49-45 decision against Johnson & Wales University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference tilt at the Wildcat Center on Saturday afternoon.
Junior Danielle Autencio (Montville. Conn.) notched a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds in the victory for the Lasers. Sophomore Kate Stopera (Hollis, N.H.) and sophomore Deanna Barrett (Berlin, Conn.) each tallied nine points in the win for Lasell.
Junior Natalie DiCocco (Media, Pa.) led the way for Johnson & Wales, tallying a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds while junior Valerie Arce (Providence, R.I.) narrowly missed a double-double with eight points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Senior Jenna Juron (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) was also in double-figures with 11 points in the setback for the Wildcats.
Lasell took an early 7-2 lead on a jumper by senior Kayla Vincelette (Westport, Mass.) with 13:35 left in the first half. JWU then used a 6-2 run, capped by a pair of free throws by junior D'Ana Rolle (Gardner, Mass.) with 9:08 on the clock. The two squads then traded leads throughout the remainder of the half with JWU taking a 23-22 lead heading into the locker room at halftime. Both teams struggled from the field in the first half with Lasell hitting 33.3% (9-of-27) while JWU shot 23.5% (8-of-34).
Lasell used a 16-4 run to take their largest lead of the game, 38-27 on a three-pointer by Barrett with 12:42 remaining in the contest. JWU responded with a run of their own and knotted the game 44-44 on a jumper by Arce with 4:15 left on the clock. Lasell had the 47-45 lead after a free throw by Autencio with :33 left. JWU was unable to convert on the offensive end and Autencio sank a pair of free throws down the stretch to seal the 49-45 victory.
With the loss Johnson & Wales drops to 6-13 for the year and 3-3 in the GNAC while Lasell improves to 9-9 overall and 2-2 in league play. The Wildcats will return to action on Tuesday, February 4th when they host Pine Manor in a non-conference contest starting at 7:00 p.m.