11/18/2011

NEWARK, N.J. - Lightning senior Shatasia Little posted her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 17-point effort by guard Kendra Johnson as Rutgers-Newark earned the 65-49 win in the opening game of the John K. Adams Tip-Off Classic on Friday night.

Lehman's first and only lead of the game came on Leslie Mencia's three-pointer with 19:04 left in the opening half.  The Lightning narrowed its deficit to 20-18 with 8:02 remaining on another Mencia three-point basket, but the Scarlet Raiders did not break, eventually closing the half up nine points, 38-29

As the second half wore on Rutgers-Newark slowly broke the game open, at one point taking a 23-point lead on a layup by Johnson.

Mencia finished the night as the Lightning's second leading scorer with 14 points, but shot poorly from the floor (4-17 FG).  Also in double figures was Amanda De La Cruz, who finished with 10 points.

Lehman is scheduled to play in Saturday's consolation game at 4 p.m. against Polytechnic Institute of New York University, a 70-58 loser to King's College.