The Lehman College women's basketball team will return to action this afternoon after 14 days of rest as the Lightning travel to Wayne, NJ to take on another difficult non-conference opponent in the William Paterson University Pioneers. The contest gets underway at 1:00pm, and fans interested in following the game via live statistics can do so by clicking here.
The Lightning will come into the contest having won two consecutive games and boasting a 6-3 overall record. Lehman's victories this season have included triumphs over some of the best women's basketball teams in the Division III scene, including St. Lawrence University and DePauw University. In addition to the 13-game league schedule, Head Coach Eric Harrison filled his schedule with a plethora of litmus tests, and this afternoon's contest against a feisty Pioneer team will be no different.
“William Paterson is a very formidable opponent, and we're going to have to bring our best game if we want to pull out a victory today,” Harrison said. “April Smith is a tremendous player. She can do all of the necessary things to make a team successful, including score, rebound, and play defense, so we're going to need to shut her down as best as we can. Our players are going into this game feeling pretty good about the way they are performing so if we play our game, we should be in a position to come away with a victory.”
Lehman's fast start has been helped by the phenomenal season being put together by two-time CUNYAC Player of the Year Sally Nnamani. The Warwick High School product and Lightning all-time leading scorer has put forth a strong showing thus far in the 2008-2009 campaign, averaging 21.7 points per game while also snatching 8.1 boards per contest and posting a team-leading 17 blocks. Second-year sensation Whittney Barnes is also putting together a stellar season, boasting averages of 13.7 points per game and 8.1 caroms per contest, and first-year point guard and standout Tonisha Kirby continues to dazzle on the court in what has turned into a stellar season with the team.
The last meeting between the two clubs came over a year ago, when the Pioneers came away with a 72-59 triumph over the Lightning at the APEX Center on December 1st, 2007. In that game, William Paterson dominated the second half, shooting just under 60 percent in the game's second stanza to help sink the Lightning by double digits. Today, Lehman hopes to reverse that result and win its third consecutive game in what promises to be a classic contest.
