Mount Ida led by as many as eight points (23-15) in the first half following a jumper by senior Scott Chamberlain (Millis, Mass./Millis) with 6:29 remaining in the first half. The Lasers fought their way back with an 18-9 run to close out the period. Junior Maxwell Perez (Holyoke, Mass./Holyoke) drained a three-pointer with just four seconds on the clock to give the hosts a 33-32 advantage at the break.
Senior Michael Unwin (Plantsville, Conn./Southington) extended the Lasell lead to eight (58-50) with a basket at the 6:03 mark of the second half, but Mount Ida rallied for a 13-5 run over the next three minutes to even things up at 63-63.
The Lasers gained a two-point edge (69-67) on a jumper by freshman Preston Jackson (Miami, Fla./Palmetto) with 25 seconds remaining in regulation and sent Chamberlain to the foul line on Mount Ida’s ensuing possession. Chamberlain converted on one of two free throws to bring the Mustangs to within one point. He then fouled Perez, who put Lasell up by three (71-68) with a pair of free throws with just four seconds remaining. The Mustangs buzzer beater attempt by junior Andreas Vasiliu (Newton, Mass./Newton North) failed, and the hosts escaped with the win.
Perez netted 14-of-15 from the free throw stripe en route to a game-best 21 points for Lasell. He also made three steals and dished out a game-high five assists. Jackson and freshman Brad Carvoulis (Dracut, Mass./Dracut) came off the bench to score 13 points apiece, while senior Dan Schweitzer (Spray Beach, N.J./Southern Regional) pulled down eight rebounds and blocked a pair of shots for the Lasers.
Four players posted double-digit scoring efforts for Mount Ida. Chamberlain tallied 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the floor, including his first three-pointer of the season, while sophomore Mike Dunham (Salem, N.H./Salem) buried four trifectas en route to a season-best 14 points. Freshman Otis Thompson (Gardner, Mass./Gardner) recorded 11 points and seven boards, and Vasiliu scored ten points off the bench. The Mustangs also received solid production from freshman Andy McCoo (Penacook, N.H./Merrimack Valley), who chipped in with a squad-best eight rebounds.
Mount Ida (1-5, 0-1 NAC) returns home for a non-conference tilt versus Emmanuel College on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Lasell (3-2, 1-0 NAC) will also be in action on Saturday, when it visits Salem State College for an out-of-league matchup tipping off at 8:00 p.m.