MEN'S BASKETBALL DROPS FIFTH GNAC LOSS TO NEIGHBORING LASELL, Junior Gino Dipietro Nets 14

The Mount Ida College Men’s Basketball team hosted neighboring rival Lasell College Tuesday night dropping a tough 81-61 loss. This would be their fifth of the season in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) bringing their overall record to 6-9, 3-5 in the GNAC while the Lasers would improve to 7-7, 4-3 in conference play.

Lasell would jump out to an 11 point advantage up 18-7 on six three point shots in the first 15 minutes including three by Laser Senior Jaime Crawford (Coral Springs, FL/Westminster Academy). The Mustangs would fight hard to keep it close with freshman forward Thomas Belton (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central) scoring 10 straight points with 6:53 left before the break cutting the lead to a deuce. The visitors would pull away towards the end of the half, but MIC Senior guardJimmy Driscoll (Dennis, MA/Dennis-Yarmouth Regional) would knock two from downtown going into the locker room only trailing 44-34. The Lasers would shoot an amazing 55 percent from three point land while the Mustangs kept it close with 43 percent from the floor.

The visitors would come out and continue to pour in baskets busting the game open up by 23 with 10:50 showing on the clock up 46-69. The advantage was too big for the Mustangs to make a comeback only getting as close as 17 with 2:21 in regulation handing them their fifth GNAC loss while Lasell would tally their fourth conference win.

Mount Ida was led by Junior guard Gino Dipietro (Westbrook, MA/Westbrook) who dropped in 14 points and five board while Belton and Junior center Otis Thompson (Gardner, MA/Gardner) added 10 points a piece. Sophomore point guard Darren Martinez (Mattapan, MA/Brookline) would net nine, with five rebounds, and three assists.

The Lasers had three players in double figures including a double-double by Junior forward Jose Guitain (Miami, FL/Miami Springs). Crawford dropped in a game high 24 going 6-11 from behind the arc and fellow teammate Brad Caravoulias (Dracut, MA/Dracut) would add 21 points with four dishes.

Mount Ida Men’s Basketball will head south to Providence, RI to face the Wildcats from Johnson & Wales University with tip-off beginning at 7:00 p.m.