Box Score Post game interview with Lehman head coach Eric Harrison
Bronx, N.Y. – The Lehman College women's basketball celebrated last season's CUNYAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance prior to their home opener, then used a stifling defense throughout the game as they beat CUNYAC foe CCNY, 78-44, Tuesday night at the APEX Center.
The Lightning (2-2, 1-0 CUNYAC) got a season and career-high 35 points from junior
Lynda Fields in the victory. She shot 13-for-24 from the field, including four-for-nine from three-point range for 20 second-half points.
Amely Del Rosario spent most of the first half on the bench with two quick fouls, but scored 13 of her 20 points in the second half and also added eight rebounds and five assists.
Three different Lehman players corralled double-digit rebounds in the game.
Salima Sangare posted a double-double with a career-high 10 points and 11 boards.
Krystal Pearson grabbed a team-best 13 rebounds with six points and five assists, while
Shakia Artist pulled down 11 rebounds of her own.
Elizabeth Zullo had a team-high eight points for the Beavers, (1-2, 0-1 CUNYAC) while Erika Richards, Natasha Almonacy and Alexis Akridge each scored six points in a losing effort.
The defense held CCNY to just 15-of-68 shooting (22.1%) from the field throughout the game. On the offensive side, the Lightning shot 41.3% including 48.7% in the second half which included 5-for-10 from behind the arc. They dominated the boards with a 55-46 edge, and tallied 40 points in the paint.
Members of the 2015-16 CUNYAC championship Lightning team returned for a pregame ceremony, where they received championship rings and had a CUNYAC and NCAA Tournament banner raised to the rafters at the APEX Center.
The Beavers grabbed a 13-11 lead after the first, then Lehman had to come back from seven points down in the second thanks to a 13-0 run to go up 29-23 at halftime. In the second half, the Lightning took control with 16 of the first 20 points scored in the third quarter to move ahead by double figures and would never look back in the fourth with 29 points to seal the win.
Up next for the Lightning is a CUNYAC tilt on the road, as they face off with John Jay College as part of a doubleheader with the men's team. Tip time is set for 1:00 p.m. in the Doghouse at the John Jay campus. Live stats and streaming video will be made available on John Jay's website.
