by Robert Cole
There was an air of excitement in the APEX Gym, on Lehman College campus as the Lighting faced last year’s CUNY finalist, Brooklyn College, in a CUNYAC regular season match up. With both teams preparing for the stretch run that they hope will conclude with the conference championship, the match up would provide each team with an opportunity to assess their progress, going into the championship run.
Brooklyn came into the game with a share of first place in the conference (8-1), while Lehman came into the game tied with Baruch (7-2). Lehman also came into the game with five new additions to the team that according to Coach Harrison make the team just as difficult a match up as last season’s championship team.
Lehman got off to a fast start, scoring eleven of the first fifteen points of the game to take an 11-4 lead at the 4:43 mark of the first quarter. The Lighting were able to maintain the seven point lead, behind the strong play of Marika Gordon, who scored eight of her game high eighteen points, until the 2:44 mark of the period,. Brooklyn would respond by finishing off the quarter on a 10-4 run to cut the Lehman lead to one point 19-18.
Brooklyn would continue their strong play in the second period, opening the quarter on a 14-2 run to take an eleven-point lead 32-21 at the 5:39 mark. During this stretch the Lighting offense did not play as a cohesive unit, as players failed to set their teammates for good shots. Coach Harrison acknowledged that it would take time for his team to gel into the unit he expects them to be, “as certain players attempt to figure out their roles on the team.” The defensive would allow Lehman to keep the score close at half 33-30.
Lehman continued to struggle in the third quarter as Brooklyn opened up a fourteen-point lead (49-35) with 6:43 to play in the quarter. The Lighting’s Marika Gordon would turn things around for Lehman when she scored a lay-up in the paint at the 6:24 mark and added the free throw, for an old fashion three-point play. Lehman would conclude the period on a ten to three run, cutting the deficit in half to trail after three periods 52-45.
With grit and determination, Lehman would complete the comeback out scoring Brooklyn 19-6 in the fourth quarter for the 64-58 victory. Coach Harrison attributed the comeback to the work of the defense, noting that the “defense started causing turn-overs that allowed Lehman to utilize their speed to get better shots.”
Lehman’s fourth-quarter turnaround could also be attributed to the outstanding teamwork of Krystal Pearson, the transfer from Towson State, who finished the game with ten points, six assist, four steals and two blocks. Krystal, who Coach Harrison, noted “will be a match-up problem for many teams in the league,” served as a stabilizing force for the Lighting during the final period.
Lehman will take their seven-game winning streak on the road, as they travel to Amherst Massachusetts, to face the second ranked team in the nation, Amherst College, on Tuesday at 6PM.
Robert Cole is a freelance sports reporter and photographer.
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