NEWTON, MA- Sean Bertanza (Seymour, CT) tallied a career-high 30 points and Javon Williams (Mattapan, MA) registered his fourth season double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds but it was not enough to sway the Norwich University men's basketball team from a 92-73 defeat of the Lasell College Lasers on Thursday night.
The Cadets dictated the flow of the game by playing three-point basketball from the onset, sinking four quick trey's early on to take a 14-8 lead five minutes into play. Two points from Bertanza and an and-one play by Javon Williams brought Lasell back within one 14-13 thirty seconds later, but the Cadets' sharp perimeter shooting continued as a fifth three was drained to give Norwich a six points cushion with 13:52 on the clock.
At 10:42, Lasell would score their last bucket for over a six minute span as Norwich exploded on a 14-0 run which turned a six point edge into a 21 point spread, 38-17, complete with the Cadet's sixth three of the game, drained at a distance by Cori Boston (Boston, MA), and a three-point play by Antonio Davis (Albany, NY). Lasell would score just three more points in the half, all scored at the line, leaving the Cadets doubled up on Lasell, 40-20, with 3:51 left in the period. Norwich scored nine straight points to end the half with a 29 point cushion, 49-20.
Throughout the first period, Norwich shot 63.6% from three-point land, hitting on 7-for-11 attempts, and 19-for-35 (54.3%) overall from the floor. Going 5-for-7 in the half, Davis led the Cadets with 12 points at the break, adding four grabs off the glass. Jaren Jeffcoat (Dallas, TX) ended the period with eight points and six rebounds.
Lasell found the rim on just 23.5% (8-34) of their opportunities in the half and connected on just 4-10 chances at the line. Williams and Bertanza combined for 18 of Lasell's first half points.
Just 20 seconds in the second half of play, Jeffcoat squared away a fast break layup, complete with a foul to hit and exceed 1,000 career points, while also putting Norwich up 52-20.
Significantly behind and with 16 minutes to play, Lasell ignited on a 17-1 run to tear a 31 point debt down to just 15 in just under a three minute span. Fuller started the surge at 16:11 penetrating into the lane for two short-range baskets. Subsequent plays in which a Zachary Campbell (Cape Coral, FL) pick off in the back court converted into a three-pointer by Bertanza in transition plus another Bertanza trey and the ensuing foul shot on the Lasers' next possession brought the score to 59-38, at 15:17.
The Lasers full court defensive pressure kept the Cadets at a standstill, while Javon Williams and Bertanza went 4-4 form the line combined. Campbell gathered yet another steal off of the press which transformed into a basket underneath by Bertanza, to end the stretch, at 59-44, with 14:28 to go.
Boston eventually scored on a second chance shot in the paint and a Ryan Williams (Dallas, TX) three-ball at 13:52 preserved the Cadets' 20-point advantage, 64-44. Bertanza's third three in as many attempts kept Lasell alive, bringing the score to 64-47 with 13 minutes exactly on the clock.
With 10:32 left to play, Ryan Williams broke the 70-point plateau for Norwich on a pair of freebies, resulting in a 71-47 Cadet edge. Norwich continued to be hot from the perimeter as Josh Cabrera (Providence, RI) opened up a 26 point lead for the Cadets at 8:56 with Norwich's ninth distance bucket.
Norwich held their ground for the rest of the second half, keeping no less than 16 points insurance between the teams for the duration of the game.
Jeffcoat unloaded 22 points, shooting 7-for-11 from the field and 7-for-8 from the stripe, while also tearing down nine boards. Ryan Williams added 20 points, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, and Davis produced 19 points and eight rebounds. Boston rounded out the quartet of Norwich players in double-figures with 10 points, adding nine rebounds and three assists. As a team, the Cadets shot 49% from the floor, 59% from the three-point line, and 78% from the charity stripe all through the conference tilt.
Lasell went 20-38 in the second half, including 5-12 from deep, while also improving to 8-10 at the line in the second frame. Williams was also credited with three assist, three steals, and two blocks in addition to his double-double performance.
The Cadets return home with an improved record of 10-7 overall and 6-4 in league play. Lasell tumbles to 4-15 this season and 3-9 in the GNAC. The Lasers will resume conference play on Saturday, February 5th compete against Johnson & Wales University in a 2:00 p.m. contest in the Athletic Center.