Farmington, Maine – The Lasell University Lasers women's basketball team fell against the University of Maine Presque Isle, 81-70, Friday in the first game in the GNAC vs NAC challenge at Dearborn Gymnasium.
Senior Meg Carroll (Douglas, Mass.) led the way with 21 points, and she brought down 15 rebounds, 10 of which came on the offensive glass. Junior Sheridan Blaha (Waltham, Mass.) scored 18 points off the bench and freshman Juju Nealy (Fitchburg, Mass.) was the last Lasers in double figures with 12 points.
Senior Emily Wheaton (Presque Isle, Maine) was the top score in the game with 22 points. Sophomore Alexis Ireland (Howland, Maine) had a double-double off the bench scoring 15 points and bringing down 10 rebounds. Junior Mariah Dunbar (Canaan, Maine) scored 11 points and sophomore Jelecia Ma'Gee-Hodges (Killeen, Texas) also scored 11 in only seven minutes of action.
The teams were even in most stats, with the Owls only holding a one rebound advantage and both teams were even in points in the paint. The biggest difference on the stats sheet was in the way the teams shot. The Lasers struggled from the field shooting 35.7 percent from the field (25-70), 28.6 percent from three (8-28), and 63.2 percent from the free throw line (12-19). The Owls on the other hand, shot the ball well shooting 46.8 percent from the field (22-47), 50 percent from behind the arc (6-12), and 83.8 percent from the free throw line (31-37).
The Owls did much of their damage from the free throw line scoring more than a third of their points from the charity stripe. The Lasers had 23 more shot attempts but were not able to capitalize on the extra opportunities.
The Lasers started out of the game hot jumping out to a six to one lead in the first two minutes following three pointers by Nealy and senior Brooke Damboise (Bolton, Conn.). The owls stormed back going on a nine to zero run over the next four minutes on two Ireland layups and five points from the free throw line. The Owls continued to push their lead in the first getting it up as high as seven points before a three by Blaha and a layup by sophomore Paige Espling (Caribou, Maine) to finish the quarter with a six-point advantage to the Owls.
Lasell continued their hot starts to quarters by erasing the Owls eight-point advantage in just about four minutes evening the score on a Blaha three pointer and taking the lead on a layup by freshman Jess Carney (Westport, Mass.). The teams traded leads the rest of the way, but the Owls were able to take a two-point lead into halftime after Ma'Gee-Hodge layup.
The third quarter was firmly controlled by the Owls opening a fifteen-point lead by the end of the quarter. With just under six minutes to go the Owls had a five-point advantage, then over the next three minutes they poured it on, going on a 11-1 run and finished the quarter on a 13-3 run outscoring the Lasers 25-12 in the quarter.
The biggest lead of the game came early in the fourth quarter on an Ireland free throw giving the Owls a 16-point cushion. From that point the Lasers started to battle their way back in the game, four layups by Carroll and two baskets by Blaha as well as a made free throw got the lead back down to nine. The Lasers continued to chip away getting the lead as low as seven on free throws by Blaha with two minutes to go, but that was as close as the Lasers got. Carroll had a strong finish to the game scoring 15 of her 22 points in the final quarter.
The Lasers will be back in action tomorrow, November 20, when they take on the hosts of the NAC vs GNAC challenge the University of Maine Farmington. Tip-off of that game is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.