BRONX, N.Y. – The Lehman College men's basketball team could not hold off a steadfast Yeshiva University squad, falling 55-52, in a game played in the APEX at Lehman College. Tonight's game is the first one played in the on-campus arena for Lehman since February of 2009.

The game was tight early, with both teams trading the lead back-and-forth. Lehman (5-3) led by as many as eight points in the first half, on a Stanley Stephens (Manhattan Center/New York, N.Y.) layup with 2:18 to play. At the break, the Lightning led 28-23.

In the second half, Lehman continued to shoot the ball well, expanding the lead to eight points several times. With 8:58 to play, junior Erasmo Soto (Harlem, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) knocked down a three-pointer and Lehman led, 47-42.

Then the Lightning went cold. Ice cold.

Over the next eight minutes, Yeshiva (5-6) went on an 11-0 run, and turned the five-point deficit into a six-point lead.

Lehman continued to scrap, and after a wild scramble, junior Kelvin Gil (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) stuck a three-pointer with just 22 seconds left, and Lehman trailed by just two points, 54-52. Lehman would get no closer, falling by three, 55-52.

Balanced scoring was the name of the game for Lehman, as Gil scored 10, followed by Soto and senior Phil Ductan (Bronx, N.Y./Kima), who each had nine.

For Yeshiva, Shlomo Weissburg led all scorers with 20 points. Meanwhile, senior Dovie Hoffman had 12 points, including his 1,000^th point for the Maccabees.

Lehman takes a short break from the hardwood, and will host SUNY Old Westbury on Thursday, December 20, at 5:00 p.m.