Box Score

Gabe Lorenzo interviews Coach Harrison after the semi-final victory over CCNY

NEW YORK --- The Lehman College women's basketball team overcame a slow start and stamped their tickets to the 2016 CUNYAC Championship Tournament Finals with an 84-79 victory over the City College of New York at the Nat Holman Gymnasium on the CCNY campus on Wednesday night.
 
The Lighting defeated the Beavers twice during the regular season.  "I knew we were the better squad." Lehman head coach Eric Harrison said afterwards. "I don't put any stock into the old adage of beating a team three times."
 
The Lightning of Lehman (19-7) were once again led by CUNYAC Player of the Year junior Amely Del Rosario, who finished with a brilliant line of 29 points, ten rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Del Rosario made 17 of 19 shots from the free throw line. Senior Jennifer Navarro poured in 23 points, while senior Karrin Walker posted a double-double, scoring 11 points and pulling down a team-high 12 boards. Senior Amani Lightbourne contributed 15 points, shooting 50 percent from the floor. Senior Yarmese Jones added six points, eight rebounds and three steals. Lehman held a 41 to 34 percent advantage in shooting.
 
The Beavers of CCNY (17-10) were led by junior Erika Richards with a career-high 37 points, including 25 in the second half. Senior Tiara Brown had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while senior Robin Daley added 12 and 11.
 
Falling behind 7-0 in the opening minutes, Coach Harrison called timeout to settle his players.
 
"I think it was just nerves." Harrison said.
 
The Lightning responded by scoring 13 of the game's next 17 points to take the lead, a rally capped off with a three-point play from Del Rosario. The opening half remained tight, with both teams trading the lead until 3:21 left in the second period when, with the score tied at 26, the Lehman offense began to take flight. The Lightning went on a 14-0 run that included two three-pointers from Navarro, going into halftime with a 40-29 advantage.
 
In the third period, Lehman went up by as much as 18 using a 9-0 run, with four points each coming from Lightbourne and Del Rosario. Richards almost single-handedly kept the Beavers in the game for much of the half. City would close out the period with nine straight points. The Lightning took 15 point lead with just 5:21 left in the game off a layup from Jones, then had to hold off a late surge by the Beavers in the closing minutes, as Navarro and Del Rosario hit their free throws down the stretch, closing out CCNY.
 
It will be Lehman's first appearance in the conference championship game since 2011. The Lightning will tip off against Brooklyn College on Friday, February 26^th at 6:00 p.m. at CCNY.  The Bulldgos were 76-70 victors over CSI.  Lehman and Brooklyn split games this year, each winning their road games.