The men’s basketball team at Lasell College has raced out to an unbeaten start in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, and one of the reasons why the Lasers have exceeded expectations this winter is Cranston East graduate Pat Marchand.

The Lasell five were picked to finish fifth in the GNAC prior to the start of the campaign, and as the team dropped its first three non-league games of the season – blowing halftime leads in each – many doubted the accuracy of even that prognostication.

However, since falling to Nichols 88-75 on Nov. 21, the Lasers have won all but one game, playing a fast-paced brand of basketball that has seen its starting five average at least 10 points per game apiece.

Marchand is a member of the double figures club himself, averaging 12.5 points a contest, including a 21-point performance on Jan. 7 in Lasell’s 94-81 upending of Albertus Magnus.

In addition to his contributions on offense, the former Thunderbolt is pulling down a team-high 9.7 rebounds a game, reaching double digits in nine contests so far this season for the Lasers.

With Marchand making key contributions at both ends of the court, Lasell currently has a 13-4 record, including a 10-0 mark in conference play that has the squad in a first-place tie with fellow unbeatens Johnson and Wales.

The Lasers will host the Wildcats on Feb. 3, but before what could be a clash of undefeated titans, they will have to travel to Saint Joseph’s of Maine on Wednesday evening before clashing with Rivier three days later.

Hackett wins pair of races at Texas A&M Invitational

Cranston West alumna Allie Hackett opened her indoor track season in style at the Texas A&M Team Invitational two weekends ago, winning both the 3,000 and 5,000-meter races for Abilene Christian.

The junior distance ace, who was returning to action after being crowned Southland Conference cross-country champion in October, began her weekend by setting a meet record in the 5,000 meters on Friday.

In a performance that left her fellow competitors in the proverbial dust, Hackett covered the distance in 16 minutes, 31.74 seconds, seeing off her nearest competitor by nearly two minutes in the process.

As a follow-up, the ex-Falcon then set her attention towards the 3,000 meters on Saturday, which proved to be a more challenging race compared to the previous day’s event.

Hackett set a new personal best on the path to victory, crossing the line in nine minutes, 37.79 seconds, besting Baylor’s Peyton Thomas by two seconds and her previous best time by 14 ticks of the clock.