Lasers Hand Pride First GNAC Loss in 60-51 Decision

NEWTON, Mass. — Regis College women's basketball suffered its first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) setback of the season tonight, falling to the Lasers of Lasell University, 60-51. The loss drops the Pride to 6-11 overall and 3-1 in GNAC play.

The Pride were led by Jillian Perry, who poured in a team-high 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Madi Zancan followed with 10 points and six rebounds, while Jordyn Striggles and Erika Marinelli chipped in nine points apiece.

For the home team, Hailey Johnson posted 16 points and six rebounds, Shirley Major added 11 points, and Blaize Mack recorded a game-high 17 rebounds to go along with eight points in the victory.

How it Happened

Jordyn Striggles broke the seal for the Pride at the 6:20 mark, knocking down their first field goal of the game with a three-pointer to spark an eight-point run and give the Pride their first lead, 8–5, near the midway point of the quarter. Three lead changes followed before the Lasers regained control in the final three minutes, carrying a slim 18-17 advantage into the second period.

The Pride opened the second quarter with an eight-point swing, highlighted by Perry's tough finish through contact, to seize a 24-18 lead and force the Lasers to call a timeout with 7:29 remaining. The regroup paid off for the home team, as they held the Pride without a field goal for the remainder of the half and went to work in the paint, scoring 12 of their final 14 points there to reclaim the advantage at the break, 32-26.

Coming out of the break, the Lasers scored six straight to build their largest lead of the game before Kailyn Smith's gritty offensive rebound and putback stopped the bleeding, making it a 38-28 contest two-and-a-half minutes into the third. Striggles and Perry followed with buckets of their own to cut the deficit to six at the 6:44 mark. The Lasers pushed the lead back to as many as nine before a Riley Whittier free throw trimmed the Pride's deficit to six, 41-35, heading into the final 10 minutes.

The Lasers used a three-pointer early in the fourth to reclaim a double-digit lead, but Striggles answered at the other end with her second triple of the game to make it 49-42 with 7:14 to play. The Lasers maintained control as the Pride continued to deliver punches throughout the quarter, highlighted by a Perry bucket, followed by a steal and easy layup that reignited the Pride faithful who made the trip to Newton. Kristina Asmani then added a tip-in to pull the Pride within five at the 3:14 mark. However, that would be as close as the Pride would get as the Lasers held on for the 60-51 GNAC victory. 

Inside the Numbers

• Jordyn Striggles connected on at least one three-pointer for the sixth consecutive game.
• Jillian Perry has recorded 16 points in back-to-back games for the Pride.
• The Pride forced 28 Laser turnovers tonight. 

Up Next

The Pride return home this Saturday, January 24, welcoming the Rivier University Raiders to Higgins Court for a 3 p.m. matchup.