Newton, MA – The season came to an upsetting end on the road for the Dean College Men’s Basketball Team Tuesday night, as the #7 seed Bulldogs fell short against the #2 seed Lasell University Lasers, 97-85.
Lasell University used a barrage of three-pointers throughout the first half to build upon a 47-36 lead entering the half. The Lasers finished the period shooting 50% behind the arch, sinking nine out of 18 three-point attempts. Conan McCusker, a Senior for the Lasers, shot four of four in three-pointers off the bench and led the team at the half by 14 points. Junior Billy Ray Barnes led the Bulldogs with 10 points through the first 20 minutes.
Dean slowly clawed back at Lasell throughout the start of the second half, outscoring the Lasers 16-11 through the first 8 minutes. The Bulldogs got as close as within four points of the Lasers with seven minutes to play in the half thanks to a timely layup by senior Ja’Maine Davenport. Lasell was able to keep themselves out of reaching distance for Dean with another pair of three-pointers. The Lasers finished shooting 13-of-30 from the three-point stripe, compared to the Bulldogs who finished at 3-of-12.
Lasell continued to keep their distance from Dean by matching shots made throughout the final five minutes. Running out of time, the Bulldogs were forced to foul Lasell to keep their hopes alive for a late victory. The Lasers, who hit seven out of their eight free throws in the final two minutes, as well as a handful of Bulldog misses, were able to bleed out the clock and secure a 97-85 victory to eliminate Dean from the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Playoffs. Billy Ray Barnes finished with a team-high 19 points, followed by Ja’Maine Davenport’s 18.
Although a disappointing playoff exit for the Bulldogs, the 2024-25 season finishes as one of the best in the program’s Division III history. Dean started the season with an 8-0 tear, the best start for the team in history. After a 7-7 GNAC campaign and a 16-11 overall record, the Bulldogs hosted their first home playoff game since the 2019-20 season, which finished in thrilling fashion securing Dean their first playoff win since joining the GNAC, as well as the program’s first since 2020.
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