NASHUA, N.H. – Senior Amanda Ortiz (Newton, Mass.) filled up the stat sheet Friday night as the Lasell University women's basketball team improved to 4-0 for the first time in program history with a 79-61 victory over the University of Maine Presque Isle at Rivier University's Muldoon Gymnasium.
The victory came in game one of the GNAC-NAC Challenge, matching schools from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference and the North Atlantic Conference. Rivier met the University of Maine Farmington in the second game of the night, with the teams switching opponents for another doubleheader on Saturday.
Ortiz finished with 26 points, converting 8-of-14 from the field with a pair of three-pointers and 8-of-10 from the free throw line. She added nine rebounds, seven blocked shots, five steals and four assists to her eye-catching performance.
The Lasers got 18 points from senior D'Asia Allen (Providence, R.I.), thanks for a 7-of-12 performance from the field and 4-of-9 from three-point range. Junior Precious Montgomery (Bridgeport, Conn.) also reached double figures with 11 points, and senior Taylor Churchill (Fort Fairfield, Maine) chipped in with nine points.
Three players scored in double figures for the Owls, as junior Taylor Miller (Weeki Wachee, Fla.) finished with 13 points, sophomore Sarah Mussleman (Turlock, Calif.) added 11 points and a team-high six rebounds, sophomore Hunter Mercier (Fairfield, Maine) was good for 10 points and five boards, and freshman Mariah Dunbar (Canaan, Maine) contributed nine points.
The Lasers led 21-12 after the first quarter, highlighted by 11 points from Ortiz and three-point buckets from Churchill and Allen. Ortiz added seven points in the second quarter and Allen, Montgomery and junior Devyn Markland (Derby, Conn.) scored four apiece as Lasell extended the lead to 44-27 at halftime.
Lasell enjoyed a comfortable double-digit advantage throughout the third quarter, leading by as many as 27 points two times before UMPI made the last two baskets of the frame. The Owls had a solid fourth quarter, outscoring Lasell 23-18 and coming as close as 14 points (70-56), but the Lasers held on for the win.
The Lasers will face UMaine Farmington Saturday at noon, followed by Rivier vs. UMPI at 2 p.m.
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