PROVIDENCE, R.I. (11/21/13) – The Lasell College men's basketball team earned their first win of the season, knocking off pre-season 22nd ranked Rhode Island College on Thursday evening, 98-94 in overtime in the Anchormen's home floor. Lasell pushed their record to 1-2 on the year with the victory, while the loss dropped RIC to 1-2 overall.
Brandon Ganesh (West Palm Beach, Fla.) scored a career-high 32 points on 8-15 shooting from the field including 3-4 from three point territory and 13-16 from the charity stripe to go along with five rebounds, five steals and four assists. Four other players reached double figures for Lasell including Clyde Niba (Atlanta, Ga.) who finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds and Jeremy Daniel (Bridgeport, Conn.) who contributed 10 points and a game-high seven assists. Sonny Mello (Fall River, Mass.) and Richard O'Brien (Manchester, N.H.) each finished with 13 points for the Lasers.
Senior guard Tom DeCiantis (North Kingstown, R.I.) posted his second career double-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and a pair of blocks to help pace RIC, while freshman guard Austin Cilley (Westerly, R.I.) poured in a team-high 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Senior guard Nyheem Sanders (Pawtucket, R.I.) added 16 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals in the loss.
The two teams traded baskets through the first few minutes of action before the Lasers began to pull away from the hosts in their home opener. After nursing a steady single-digit lead throughout much of the first frame, a 9-2 run over the final 3:18 of the half sent Lasell into the intermission with a 41-31 lead. The Anchormen shot just 24 percent from the field and committing 11 first half turnovers, while Lasell shot at a 46 percent clip through the first 20 minutes.
Lasell led by as many as 11 points through the first 10 minutes of the second half before Rhode Island College made a run. Trailing, 62-54, with just under nine minutes to play, DeCiantis buried a pair of three-pointers to cut the deficit to two. After the Lasers jumped back ahead of the hosts by seven, 69-62, with 6:05 on the clock, the Anchormen responded with an 8-0 run to regain the lead, 70-69, thanks to a three-pointer from Sanders with 4:47 remaining.
The Lasers bounced back to take the lead thanks to a pair of free throws from sophomore guard Richard O'Brien on the other end of the floor and eventually upped their lead to five when Niba drained a three-pointer with 2:45 on the clock to make it, 78-73.
Cilley quickly responded for the Anchormen with a key three-pointer to pull the hosts within two, 78-76, with 2:27 left to play. After Ganesh connected on one of two free throws for the Lasers on the ensuing possession, Cilley sank another trey to tie the game at 79 with 2:03 on the clock.
Both teams had opportunities down the stretch, combining to miss four field goals and two free throws through the final two minutes, sending the game into overtime knotted at 79.
Senior forward Sonny Mello got the ball rolling with a free throw in the opening minute of overtime to give the visitors the lead. Keyed by a pair of three-pointers from Mello and Ganesh, the Lasers jumped ahead of the Anchormen by as many as eight points in the extra session and eventually came away with the, 98-94, victory.
Lasell will return to action on Tuesday November 26th when they will visit Brandeis University for a 7:00 p.m. match-up with the Judges.