Women’s Basketball: In King's Debut, Warriors' Frantic Late Rally Falls Short

11/12/2025 7:39:00 PM | By: Alyssa Sarai French-Graham

Box Score
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. — Despite a late rally from the Warriors, Lasell University held on, as Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball fell 69-65 Wednesday night at Geissler Gymnasium in its opening game under first-year head coach Mandy King.

Game Information:

Score: Lasell University 69, Eastern Connecticut State University 65
Records: Eastern (0-1), Lasell University (2-0)
Location: Willimantic, CT | (Geissler Gymnasium)

Key Moments:
First Quarter

Lasell struck first, gaining an early advantage with a layup from Blaize Mack. Still, sophomore guard Liv Cassesse (Wallingford) and first-year forward Katelyn Novak (Colchester) answered the Lasers' finesse with two back-to-back threes to give the Warriors a 6-2 advantage, but Lasell's Shirle Major took over mid-quarter, hitting a three-pointer, converting two free throws, before finishing off with a layup in less than two minutes.
Eastern's sophomore forward Isabella Romero (Peabody, MA) eventually broke the scoring silence to shave Lasell's lead slightly (8-11), but to no avail, Lasell forced Eastern to play catch-up for the remainder of the quarter, holding it to finish out 15-12 going into the second quarter.

Second Quarter

Novak started the second quarter with a quick three to tie the score up 15-15 to break Lasell's lead, but Lasell refused to break as the two settled into a sharp back-and-forth score summary before Lasell broke away, gaining their first extended lead of the quarter at 4:16.
Lasell attacked the final minutes with hustle led by the Lasers Shirle Major and Laura Johnson. Johnson controlled the game traffic in the closing seconds to stretch Lasell's halftime edge to 31-26 after an evenly matched quarter.

Third Quarter

Lasell capitalized on their lead, opening the third with a quick layup, which would lead to an eight-point unanswered scoring stretch from Lasell, Eastern unable to cut into the stretch.
At the seven-minute mark, the Warriors' junior forward Marissa Nudd (Colchester) got to the free throw line, sinking both to get Eastern back into play, followed by a bucket from Alyssa Paquette (Claremont, NH), the junior forward, trying to spark a Warriors comeback but by the five-minute mark, Lasell closed out the quarter, outscoring Eastern 19-11 and taking a commanding 50-37 lead heading into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

Eastern came alive in the final frame, clawing back from a 16-point deficit with a late surge. Cassesse, Paquette, and first-year forward, Maddie Topa (New Hartford) delivered a series of quick layups and a game-tying three to put the Warriors within chance.
Though the surge was too late as Lasell stood firm, responding with a pair of free throws and clutch baskets to keep the Lasers ahead in the closing seconds to secure the 69-65 win over the Warriors.

Stats:

Eastern Conn. St.: 25-67 FG (37.3%), 7-23 3PT (30.4%), 8-11 FT (72.7%)
Lasell: 24-63 FG (38.1%), 3-12 3PT (25.0%), 18-21 FT (85.7%)
Rebounds: Eastern 35, Lasell 45
Assists: Eastern 15, Lasell 11
Turnovers: Eastern 16, Lasell 19
Points in the paint: Eastern 30, Lasell 28
Fast break points: Eastern 0, Lasell 0
Second-chance points: Eastern 4, Lasell 10

Game Notes:

Eastern opened its 2025-2026 season with a 69-65 loss to Lasell University at home.
Nudd led the team with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.
The Warriors shot 37.3% from the field and 30.4% from three-point range.
The only newcomer to start, Novak added 11 points and 3 rebounds.
Eastern's bench contributed 24 points.
Three players led in double figures: Nudd (15), Paquette (13), and Cassesse (13).

Up Next:
Eastern travels to Western New England Friday to meet the Golden Bears at Alumni Healthful Living Center.

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