NEWTON, Mass. (BVM) – Senior guard EJ Day entered Lasell University’s game against Colby Sawyer last Saturday sitting at 997 career points at the collegiate level. Day started the game just like any other, looking to get his teammates involved and to bring the energy. He got an early assist and then a steal as the Lasers took a quick 7-0 lead. Then, with just over four minutes passed in the first half, Day sunk a three-point shot in the corner and the home fans erupted celebrating his 1,000th career point.

Day flashed a quick three to the crowd and immediately sprinted back to the other end of the floor to play defense. Scoring 1,000 career points is a milestone that many collegiate basketball players dream about, but not Day. 

“Scoring 1,000 points feels good, but it only really felt good in that moment…winning a championship is my ultimate goal,” Day said.

Despite only needing 57 games to reach the 1,000-point mark, Day said he never saw himself reaching the milestone in college as in his junior year of high school he was coming off the bench. Day also came off the bench in his freshman year of college at Western New England, where he scored the first 292 points of his career.

It was not until Day came to Lasell that his production began to take off. Day stated that one of the biggest differences between his current home and Western New England is that “at Lasell it is more of a team sport. It is more of a family here.” Day credits the bond between himself and his teammates as a major reason for his and the team’s success.

One impressive aspect of Day’s 1,000 points is the efficiency of which he has scored. He has shot 44.8% from the field and 38% from three throughout his career. Day credits his efficiency to his teammates and coach. 

“My teammates put me in the right position, my coach [Aaron Galletta] puts me in the right position,” Day said. “It’s really just up to me to hit the shot. I am put into the right position to score and that is what keeps my efficiency so high is knowing when to take the right shot.”

When asked about the best aspect of his game, Day took the opportunity to praise his teammates even further. 

“My best aspect is playing with my teammates, they are the reasons why I score… they get me going,” the senior said.

Day emphasized the trust he has in all his teammates, especially Kevin Nunez, Kevin Vanderhorst and Johnathan Friberg, stating “it doesn’t matter who has the ball. We all feel like we can score… so having those guys on the court just makes it easier for me because I have trust in those guys.” Day went onto say, “I wouldn’t be a 1,000-point scorer without my teammates.”

Despite Day’s scoring prowess, he feeds off of his defensive and playmaking abilities more. 

“I get [my game] off defense, just being lockdown with my teammates getting steals, getting the ball up the floor, and getting [my teammates] going. I get mine off that,” Day said. “Me being on my game is getting a couple of assists.”  

Over the course of his career Day has racked up 109 steals and 175 assists.

Day currently leads the Lasers in scoring and is third in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference in scoring. The Lasers currently sit in fourth place of the GNAC, holding the last bye in the playoffs, with a 7-3 conference record. Day and the Lasers will look to continue their strong season as they chase their ultimate goal, a championship. 

“I need a championship, that’s my goal right now,” Day said. “Everybody involved in this, that’s our main goal.”

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