WORCESTER, Mass. – The Worcester State University men's basketball team defeated the Connecticut College Camels by a score of 76-72 Saturday at Brissette Court.
With the win, the Lancers advance to 4-4. The Camels fall to 2-4 with the loss.
The first half was a neck-and-neck affair with the two teams trading baskets for the majority of the half. The teams were tied at 34 at the end of 20 minutes.
Erik Bjorn (Holden, Mass.) led the way for the Lancers with nine points, six rebounds, and two charges drawn in the first half. The Lancers struggled with turnovers and perimeter shooting during the first 20 minutes, giving up the ball 10 times and shooting only 2-11 from behind the line.
For the Camels, David Labossiere (Stoneham, Mass.) netted 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting in the first 20 minutes. Dan Draffan added 10 points and six rebounds. Seven-foot center Ryan Omslaer (Jackson, N.J.) picked up two fouls in four minutes which kept him off the floor for the remainder of the half.
The basket trading continued for much of the second half as the two teams traded leads constantly. The game went down to the wire, with the score still tied at 70 with two minutes left.
A steal turned into a fast break and-one for Eddie Hassell (Milton, Mass.) that put the Lancers up three with less than two minutes to go. Hassell would go on to record a key steal with nine seconds remaining and hit one of two free throws to ice the game.
Tyler Dion (Barre, Mass.) paced the Lancers with 20 points, two assists, and four steals. Shaun McCarthy (Oxford, Mass.) chipped in 13 points while going 10-for-11 from the free throw line. Worcester State's free throw shooting was key to their win, as they went 22-for-25 as a team from the line.
Labossiere finished with a game high 21 points while adding eight rebounds and five assists. Draffan ended the game with 16 points and nine rebounds.
Up next for the Lancers is a road matchup against Skidmore College Wednesday, December 5 tipping off at 6 p.m. The Camels will also play on Wednesday as they travel to Coast Guard Academy starting at 7 p.m.
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