Lasers have sights set on future after dropping to Blue Jays

The women’s basketball team was blown out by the Saint Joseph Blue Jays Thursday night by a final score of 93-49 at the Athletic Center. The loss drops the Lasers to 2-8 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference and 3-14 overall.

First Year Brenna Graber waiting patiently for the ball in between plays. Photo taken by Bryant Lopez

A game where both team’s offenses started off hot, benefitted the Lasers as they took a 15-10 lead during the first quarter. Despite an 8-0 run by the Bluejays, the Lasers scored four straight points at the end of the quarter, giving them a one point advantage.

In the second quarter, the Blue Jays began to look more like the dominant GNAC team who’ve earned them a win in five of their last eight games. The Blue Jays went up 47-22 going into halftime, thanks to several Laser turnovers; at one point giving a 27-1 run to their opponent.

During the second half, the Blue Jays picked up right where they left off, going on a 10-2 run putting them in front by 35 points. Although the game was far out of reach by the start of the fourth quarter, the Lasers continued to fight like it was a playoff match.

After the game, Coach Kelley Sundberg said first-years Laura Johnson and Brenna Graber were good sparks off the bench, while also noting that the rest of the team continued getting valuable experience and growing alongside each other.

“11 out of our 12 players have played less than two years of college basketball,” Sundberg said. “The one outlier is a fifth year, so this is her first year at Lasell,” she added.

Outside of describing the team’s youth and encouraging play on the court, Sundberg highlighted the team’s energy off the court, stating that the bench is staying engaged throughout the entire game and supporting those on the floor.

First Year Brenna Graber looking to go to the hoop through a closing-in Saint Joe's defense. Photo taken by Bryant Lopez

“Being a good teammate is the first thing you got to do,” said Sundberg.

The Lasers will travel to Franklin, MA for their next game at 1pm on Saturday where they will face GNAC opponent, the Dean College Bulldogs.

Despite the season-long struggles, Assistant Coach Jamal Smith is looking forward to whatever comes next for the Lasers.

“We’re looking at a bright future,” said Smith.