BOSTON – The visiting Lasell Lasers pulled away in the second half as the Emmanuel men's basketball team dropped a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup, 89-68, on Wednesday evening inside the Jean Yawkey Center. With the result, the Saints fell to 1-13 overall and 0-3 in GNAC play, while the Lasers improved to 11-4 and remained unbeaten in conference action at 4-0.

In a first half featuring eight lead changes and four ties, the two sides battled back and forth for the opening 14 minutes. A quick 6-0 surge just before the 10-minute mark gave the Saints a 21-16 edge, thanks to two buckets from Noah Beaudet and another from Ismani Cepeda.

With 6:01 remaining in the half and Emmanuel clinging to a 29-27 lead, the Lasers began a run of their own. Esmer Madesko's consecutive layups swung the matchup in Lasell's favor, sparking a 13-4 run that led to a 40-33 advantage at the break.

Lasell carried their offensive momentum into the second half, extending their lead to 50-35 within the first four minutes of play. Despite the Saints' efforts, they were unable to cut the deficit back to single digits. A three-pointer from Marcus Lewis midway through the second half gave the Lasers their largest advantage of the night at 85-60 with 4:17 remaining, as Lasell maintained control for an 89-68 victory.

The Lasers' victory featured efficient scoring, posting a 57.4% shooting percentage and 62 points in the paint. They were led by Madesko, who finished with 28 points on 13/20 shooting. Lewis added a double-double with 24 points and 10 boards in the win. Cameron Snowden led the way for the Saints, tallying 18 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

Up next, the Lasers head to New England College to continue GNAC play on Saturday (1/18) at 3:30 PM. Emmanuel will travel to Northfield, Vt., on Saturday for a 1:00 PM GNAC clash with Norwich.