NEWTON, Mass. – Freshman Mary Casamassa (Wexford, Pa.) posted a double-double with 11 points and a season-high 14 rebounds Saturday afternoon as Norwich University defeated Lasell College, 44-38, on Senior Day in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball game at the Lasell Athletic Center.
Casamassa was the only Cadet player to score in double figures as senior Emily Oliver (Sagamore Hills, Ohio) tallied nine points and sophomore Riley Bennett (Hopkinton, N.H.) added eight. Norwich snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 8-14 overall and 3-7 in the GNAC.
Graduate student Breanna Muir (Wareham, Mass.) led the Lasers with 12 points and senior Taylor Hughey (Redding, Calif.) added a season-high 10 points. Sophomore Peyton Young (Douglas, Mass.) chipped in with seven points and senior Jaime Caron (Derry, N.H.) collected a team-high seven rebounds for the Lasers (6-16, 1-9 GNAC).
Prior to the game, Lasell recognized graduate students Muir and Imani Bumpus (Dedham, Mass.) and seniors Caron, Hughey and Liz Bougie (Sanford, Maine).
It was a one-possession game most of the first quarter until Muir hit a three-pointer with two minutes to go to put Lasell up 10-6, but Norwich answered with a pair of buckets, including a three-pointer by Casamassa with 30 seconds remaining, to take an 11-10 lead at the end of one quarter.
The Cadets extended their lead to 17-10 while keeping Lasell off the scoreboard for over six minutes until Muir hit a three with 3:55 on the clock. The teams traded hoops until Norwich ended the half with a 22-15 advantage.
Bennett's basket early in the third quarter gave Norwich a nine-point lead, but Lasell scored the next 13 points to regain the lead, 28-24. Young scored seven straight points for the Lasers in the rally, and Hughey added five points. The Cadets answered with six straight points and held a 32-31 advantage at the end of three.
Norwich maintained the lead throughout the fourth quarter but not by more than five points. Lasell drew to within two points 40-38, with a minute and a half to go, but could not get the tying basket and the Cadets held on for the win.
The Lasers are on the road for their final two games of the season – Tuesday, February 12, at the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) at 7 p.m. and Saturday, February 16, at Saint Joseph's College (Maine) at 1 p.m. Norwich is home for its final two, Tuesday against Saint Joseph's (Maine) at 5 p.m. and Saturday vs. Rivier University at 3 p.m.
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