BRONX, N.Y. – The Lehman College women's basketball team came from behind to win a thriller over Adrian College, 68-66, to capture the 8th annual CUNY Athletic Conference Coaches vs. Cancer Basketball Classic Championship, on Tuesday afternoon, in the APEX Main Gym.
With Lehman (8-3) down 66-65 in the closing seconds, sophomore guard Amely Del Rosario (Bronx, N.Y./John F. Kennedy) launched a three-point shot that bounced off the backboard and into the basket to give the Lightning the lead, 68-66, with 0.3 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs (4-6) could not get a shot off in the last possession, as the Lightning went on to win their second regular season tournament of the season. The video of Del Rosario's last second heroics can be seen here.
"This was a great win for us," Lightning head coach, Eric Harrison said. "I am really proud of our team. We played well and we did it for a very important cause."
Del Rosario was named to the All-Tournament Team as she had a game-high 25 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out four assists. She also added 11 points in Lehman's first round victory over Shenandoah University, on Monday.
Junior forward Yarmese Jones (Astoria, N.Y./William C. Bryant) was named the Most Valuable Player of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. In Tuesday's win over Adrian, Jones scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds, and forced three steals. On Monday against Shenandoah, she tallied nine rebounds, blocked three shots, and had three steals.
Here is the complete All-Tournament Team:
MVP – Yarmese Jones, Lehman College
Amely Del Rosario, Lehman College
Marissa Cotton, Adrian College
Jorden York, Adrian College
Najha Treadwell, Kean University
Holly Chittenden, Shenandoah University
In the latter stages of the second half, Lehman and Adrian were in a seesaw affair. With the game tied at 55, Jones successfully executed a jump shot to put the Lightning back up by two, with 6:31 remaining. After the Bulldogs took the lead, 60-59, junior forward Karrin Walker (New York, N.Y./Richard R. Green) answered back by laying the ball up and in to give the home team a slim one-point lead, with 3:50 left to play in regulation.
Adrian would put Lehman on the brink by scoring the game's next five points to take a four-point lead, with just 1:26 left to play. Del Rosario ended Lehman's drought by successfully converting a layup to cut the deficit in half, with just over a minute remaining.
With Lehman down by three, Del Rosario was fouled and successfully hit a pair of free throws to shrink Adrian's advantage to 66-65, with 37 seconds remaining. After the Lightning's defense prevented the Bulldogs from scoring, Lehman got the ball back with 6.7 seconds to go. Coming out of the timeout, Del Rosario received the inbounds pass, dribbled the ball down the court, and nailed what would become the game-winning three-point shot.
Walker tallied a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, while junior guard Jennifer Navarro (Jamaica, N.Y./Grover Cleveland) added nine points.
Earlier today in the consolation game, Kean University defeated Shenandoah by a score of 78-67.
The Lightning will will return to the APEX Main Gym on Saturday, for a CUNY Athletic Conference game against CCNY, at 12:00 p.m.