By Izabela Gage Interim Sports Editor Women’s basketball clipped the Lasell University Lasers 63-59 in a nail-biter home opener Nov. 22. This win brings their overall record to 3-2. The Rams placed second in the MASCAC preseason poll Oct. 31, right behind the Bridgewater State University Bears. Framingham beat Bridgewater 74-62 in the 2023-24 MASCAC Tournament Championship Game. Captain Katie Haselton, a senior, said, “The MASCAC preseason poll, in my eyes, is just fuel to continue to go 100% every day in proving them wrong. I don’t pay attention to doubts and opinions that don’t help us to grow this season.” Haselton started the action-packed game with a layup, taking the lead for the Rams 2-0. Lasell made two 3-point jump shot attempts to gain the lead, but both shots bounced off the rim. The game calmed down over the next minute, with defensive rebounds from both teams, until the Lasers were able to tie the score with a layup. Freshman Jackie Schels took the rebound and ran with the ball, unfortunately missing her layup. Haselton grabbed the rebound and passed it back to Schels, who then sent it over to freshman Faith Greene, who tallied her first layup of the game. The Rams took control of the ball after a missed jump shot, with senior Michelle Moreno dribbling it back into the Lasers’ court and junior Abigail Martin making a layup and bringing the score to 6-2. A foul from Lasell awarded Haselton two free throws, but she only successfully converted one into a point. Less than 10 seconds later, Lasell’s top scorer of the night, Kiara Cerruti, evened the score 7-7 with a three-pointer. Greene contributed another jump shot, assisted by Schels, taking back the lead 9-7. However, the Rams faced pressure from the Lasers’ offense and they responded with a jump shot of their own, once again tying the score. Framingham briefly regained the lead when Schels made a free throw to make it 10-9, but Lasell forced a turnover and reclaimed the lead with a jump shot from Laura Johnson.
The next 2 minutes consisted of blocks from the Rams until a foul by the Lasers resulted in Haselton earning two free throw attempts, but she only made one. This basket resulted in a tied score once again at 11-11.
With less than a minute left in the first quarter, Lasell’s Daeserae Williamson made a jump shot, taking the lead 13-11.
Haselton contributed to gaining the lead back for the Rams and made a layup with just 35 seconds left and tied the score 13-13.
Unfortunately, the Lasers responded with another jump shot, ending the first quarter in the lead 15-13. Lasell opened up the second quarter with two layups in an attempt to run away with the lead 19-13. Sophomore Brodie Gannon made the only three-pointer of the game for the Rams, assisted by Schels, bringing the score to 19-16. Schels kept the momentum going, tallying another jump shot only 17 seconds later. The Lasers responded with two of their own, expanding their lead to 23-18. Once again, Schels returned the effort with a layup but Cerruti kept Lasell’s lead with a three pointer and brought the score to 26-20. After missed shots from both teams, Schels and Haselton combined for 8 points, clearing the 6-point deficit and taking the lead 28-26 at the end of the second quarter. At the start of the third quarter, the Lasers gained the lead with a jump shot and a three-pointer. Greene and Martin each tallied a layup, taking back the lead, until Lasell tallied one of their own, bringing the score to 33-32. A foul on the Lasers earned Greene two free throws, which she easily sank. Martin stole the ball from Lasell’s Blaize Mack and broke away to the other side of the court, tipping the ball into the basket. Cerruti contributed a layup and a free throw to help Lasell take back the lead, 38-36, but Haselton evened it out with a layup. Lasell’s Shirle Major earned two free throws from a foul, and the Lasers took the lead 40-38. Only 8 seconds later, Moreno saw a clearing on the court and easily made a layup to tie the score. Right after, Moreno made a free throw due to a foul by Lasell. Cerruti shortly tallied a layup and a free throw of her own, taking a 1-point lead for the Lasers. A layup and two free throws from Greene, a layup from Moreno, and two free throws from Schels wrapped up the third quarter with the Rams in the lead 52-48. Lasell made an effort in the beginning of the fourth quarter with a jump shot, but Greene made one of her own to maintain the Rams’ 4-point lead. The Lasers tied the score, but Schels and Haselton kept the Rams ahead with a layup and jump shot, respectively. Johnson and Major stayed determined, both contributing to the Lasers bringing the score to 59-58. Greene tallied her last two layups of the game, with Haselton earning 1 last point for the Rams with a free throw. In the thrilling win, there were 12 lead changes between the teams and 12 ties. Moreno said the team is focused on “running through plays correctly and making sure everyone is aware of their role on and off the court.” Schels said the championship team is welcoming. “You can definitely see how they're a championship team. I feel excited to go into such a special program.” Haselton said, “We are a young team, but the continuous passion, grit, and fight with our group is special and will make the journey much more meaningful in the end. “We continue to show up every day and work as a team, as one,” she added. Haselton tallied 17 points in the win against Lasell, with eight rebounds and seven assists. Schels earned MASCAC Rookie of the Week Nov. 18 after tallying 11 points, six rebounds and two assists in the loss to The College of New Jersey Nov. 16. She also contributed 9 points, three rebounds and two steals in the 60-42 win over Keene State University Nov. 17. Schels said she’s happy to start off the season on a positive note, “but it's all because of my teammates and how supportive they are. So I'm excited to keep that going.” Schels tallied eight rebounds in the win over Lasell, and said rebounds are important in neck-and-neck games. “All the hustle plays - those are everything. But again, those are because of my teammates - everyone else is boxing out and making plays.” Greene said rebounds effectively stop the opponents from gaining the lead and give more opportunity to the Rams. “As a team, we talk a lot about rebounding, and in a close game like Lasell, the more rebounds we get, the fewer second-chance opportunities they have.” Greene tallied a double-double by contributing 17 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks in the close game against Lasell. After their game against Lasell, the Rams went on the road and started off on a high note, beating the Regis College Pride 84-69. In the Rams’ win against Regis, Greene tallied another double-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal while shooting 62.5 percent from the floor. These statistics helped her earn MASCAC Rookie of the Week back-to-back Nov. 25 and Dec. 2. Greene said, “Honestly, receiving Rookie of the Week is great, but that’s not where my motivation and excitement come from. “I know there’s still a long way to go,” she added. Haselton said, “Every practice and every game, we improve. But we still have so much to learn and many areas to grow. “We use the feeling of being a championship team to fuel us to go 100% every single day to make it happen again,” she added. Greene said one of the many things she loves about her coaches is “they reflect on everything, continue to hold us accountable, and keep telling us what we need to improve while also doing the same. This accountability is what makes our team different.” After defeating Regis, the Rams then traveled to Rivier University and lost to the Warriors 64-49 Dec. 3. Most recently, the Rams concluded their road trip by losing to the Connecticut College Camels 63-56 Dec. 5. Their overall record is now 4-4. The Rams host the Emerson College Lions on their home court Dec. 7.