Box Score
The Lehman College women's basketball team (20-10 Overall, 10-3 CUNYAC) lost in the championship game of the ECAC Metro NY/NJ Women's Basketball Tournament, falling to the Dolphins of the College of Staten Island (23-6 Overall, 12-1 CUNYAC) by a score of 75-71 Sunday afternoon in a game played at the Sports and Recreation Center in Staten Island, NY.
The game was a rubber match, as the two teams had met twice this season. CSI took the first meeting between the squads, 81-77 in overtime in a game played at Staten Island back on January 7, and Lehman captured the latter contest, defeating the Dolphins 58-51 in the semifinal round of the City University of New York Women's Basketball Tournament back on February 24. The third and final game between the two had a little bit of everything, including clutch shooting, late-game dramatics, lead changes, and physical play in the paint.
After the Dolphins took an early 14-9 lead, the Lightning went on an 11-4 run to take its first lead of the game, 20-18, with 11:42 remaining in the contest. After a 7-1 run put CSI back in front 25-21, junior Kelsey Ash and Senior Sally Nnamani connected on back-to-back three-pointers, giving Lehman a 27-25 lead, an advantage the Lightning would not relinquish for the remainder of the half as the team headed into the locker room with a 45-37 lead.
The Lightning maintained their lead through the opening stages of the second half, holding a 55-45 advantage with 14:58 remaining in the game. An 11-4 run over the next six and a half minutes, capped-off by two Nicole Estrada free throws, tied the game at 59 apiece. 53 seconds removed from Estrada's free-throws, the senior hit a three-point basket, putting CSI in the lead, 62-59, with 7:33 left. A mini 6-3 run by Lehman tied the score at 65, but a free throw by Estrada and a jumper from Allie Shanahan gave the Dolphins a three-point lead, 68-65, with 4:17 left.
Nnamani, playing in her final game for Lehman, tied the game with a rainbow three-point basket with 4:04 remaining, but back-to-back three-point baskets by Estrada put CSI up 74-68 with just over a minute remaining. Nnamani raced down the court with the basketball and launched a long three, draining the shot and pulling Lehman to within three with 56 seconds left. Lehman did have one final opportunity to tie the game with eight seconds remaining, but Ash, perhaps not aware of the time remaining on the clock, forced a three-point attempt from just in front of the mid-court line. The shot came up short and went out of bounds, giving CSI the ball back with just over four seconds remaining. Following a timeout, the ball was in-bounded to CSI's Melanie D'Ambrosi, who connected on one of two free throws, and in essence, putting the game away. CSI held on for a 75-71 win and took the ECAC championship.
Despite the loss for the Lightning, Nnamani finished her Lehman career by putting forth an impressive performance, netting a team-high 24 points to go along with 10 rebounds and four blocks. Center Whittney Barnes also put forth a strong performance with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, and Ash finished with 12 points, with all of her points coming via three-point baskets. Junior point guard Tonisha Kirby missed the game with an injury.
For the Dolphins, Estrada was awarded ECAC Metro Tournament Division III Outstanding Player of the Game, as she finished with 26 points and five rebounds. Megan Sullivan scored 14 points, dished seven assists and grabbed seven rebounds, and Shanahan added 11 points.
For Lehman's women's basketball team, it was a season to be remembered. The squad recorded 20 victories and appeared in its third straight CUNYAC championship game while also making a run to the ECAC Metro NY/NJ tournament finals. The Lightning will regroup and will be ready to make another run when the 2009-2010 season tips-off in early November of this year.
