WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Lehman College women's basketball team claimed a hard-fought win in the first round of the Gallaudet University Holiday Tournament, beating the hosts on Saturday afternoon, 75-70. The Lightning will now face Trinity (D.C.) University in the Championship Game on Saturday, at 1:00 p.m. Trinity defeated Valley Forge Christian earlier on Friday, 68-38.

Sophomore forward Amani Lightbourne (Elmsford, N.Y./Alexander Hamilton) made a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining in the game to seal the win for Lehman. The Lightning (5-2) led by eight points with just 18 seconds to play in the game, before the host Bison managed to crawl to within three points before Lightbourne's heroics.

In the second half, sophomore Jennifer Navarro (Jamaica, N.Y./Grover Cleveland) hit a triple with 4:53 to go, giving Lehman a ten point lead. She finished with a game-high 19 points. From that point, Gallaudet chipped away at the lead, closing the game to just four points, 69-65, with 1:48 to play in regulation.

Junior Shalaya Nieves (Camden, Del./Caesar Rodney) scored two of her 18 points to extend the lead back to six, before freshman Amely Del Rosario (Bronx, N.Y./John F. Kennedy) made free throws to bring the lead back to eight points, with 18 ticks remaining on the clock.

Nieves had the game's sole double-double, adding 11 rebounds. Del Rosario poured in 18 points, while Lightbourne added 15.

Lehman has now won its last two games, and four of its last five, bringing the total number of wins for Head Coach Eric Harrison to a nice, round 225, in his 15+ seasons at Lehman College.