Box Score
GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Lehman College women's basketball team dropped the 2015-16 season opener to Rowan University, 81-73, on the campus of Messiah College on Friday evening. Lehman will now play in the consolation game of the Messiah Tournament on Saturday.
 
The Lightning (0-1) were led by senior guard Jennifer Navarro, who scored a game-high 29 points and shot 8-18 from the field. Junior guard Amely Del Rosario produced 24 points, blocked one shot, and forced a steal.
 
After the Lightning fell behind 6-0 to start the game, Del Rosario and Navarro hit back-to-back three-point baskets to tie it up. With the game tied at eight, senior forward Amani Lightbourne found classmate Yarmese Jones, who laid the ball up and in, to give Lehman the lead.
 
With 30 seconds left in the opening quarter, Del Rosario converted a layup to extend Lehman's lead to 16-12. The Lightning held a 17-15 advantage at the end of the first stanza.
 
In the second quarter, Lehman fell behind, 24-21. Del Rosario capitalized on a three-point shot to tie the game at 24. With the game tied at 26, the Profs (1-0) took complete control of the game, by going on a 17-2 run to take a 41-28 lead, with 30 seconds left in the first half. Both teams went into the half with Rowan University up 42-31.
 
In the second half, Jones laid the ball up and in to narrow Lehman's deficit to four, at 46-42. Navarro was able to convert a layup of her own to shrink Rowan's lead to 47-45. With under a minute to go in the third quarter, Del Rosario hit a pair of free throws to pull Lehman within two, at 57-55. Rowan would take a 58-55 advantage after three quarters of play.
 
After Rowan extended its lead in the fourth quarter, Navarro drilled a three-point shot to decrease the Profs' lead to 66-62. Navarro added two more free throws to decrease Lehman's deficit to three, at 69-66, with just under three minutes remaining. Rowan was able to pull away at that point, going on an 8-1 run in a span of just over a minute, to go up 77-67. That put the game out of reach for the Lightning as the final score was 81-73.
 
Jones scored 12 points, grabbed eight boards, and forced three steals. Lightbourne produced eight points, had four assists, just as many steals, and produced five rebounds.