Lehman Edges Baruch 52-51, Capture CUNY Conference Championship

New York, NY – The third-seeded Lehman College Lightning pulled off a stunning rally against the defending champion and top-seeded Baruch College Bearcats for a 52-51 victory in the championship game of the 2007 CUNY Athletic Conference / Con Edison Women’s Basketball Championship. The Lightning defense stifled Baruch over the last 11 minutes as they scored 14 of the last 16 points in the game to set up the upset and win their first-ever CUNYAC Tournament. Lehman had trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half and was down nine, 49-38, after Bearcats senior guard Jody Trapp (New Rochelle, NY / New Rochelle) hit a pair of free throws with 11:45 remaining in the game.

Lehman senior guard Katherine Santiago (New York, NY / Norman Thomas), a CUNYAC Second Team All-Star, sparked an 8-0 run with a lay-up off a drive down the middle 22 seconds later, followed by a steal and feed for a lay-up by sophomore guard Sally Nnamani (Warwick, NY / Warwick), the CUNYAC Player of the Year, 20 seconds after that. Lightning junior guard Kim Kelly (Brooklyn, NY / Paul Robeson) added a basket with 9:29 to go and sophomore forward Monique Sampson (Bronx, NY / Cathedral) wrapped up the spurt with a jumper off the glass to cut the deficit to just three points, 49-46, with 7:44 left.

Baruch finally ended its scoreless skid with a pair of free throws from junior guard Naesha Tyler-Moore (Chicago, IL / Rich Central), increasing the cushion to 51-46, at the 6:34 mark. Sampson again sliced the margin to three points, 51-48 with a lay-up 20 seconds later. Santiago made a steal and breakaway lay-up to pull Lehman to within one point, 51-50, with 5:54 remaining. Her next basket, with 4:36 to go, put the Lightning ahead 52-51 for their first – and only – lead of the night.

The next few minutes saw fierce defensive stands, and offensive stagnation, from both teams. The Bearcats had one last chance to win after Nnamani missed a jumper with 17 seconds left, but Sampson blocked Trapp’s drive into traffic and was fouled grabbing the rebound with two seconds on the clock. She missed the free throw but Baruch could not get off a shot as time expired. Lehman scored the final six points of the evening. The Bearcats final basket came on a jumper by senior forward Ally Stamatiades (Queens, NY / Bryant) with 12:33 remaining.

Sampson, whose energy down the stretch fueled the Lightning’s comeback, was named CUNYAC Tournament MVP after scoring 10 points, pulling down nine rebounds, and making the critical game-saving block. Carroll joined her on the CUNYAC All-Tournament Team by adding 14 points while Santiago contributed 10 points, four assists, and six steals. Nnamani finished with eight points and seven rebounds.

“There’s nothing better than this,” said Santiago, a former CUNYAC Rookie of the Year. “We won this game with our heart. Along with my teammates, I’ve come full circle from my first two seasons playing for Lehman.”

Baruch was led by senior forward Racquel Reid (Bronx, NY / Washington Irving), a CUNYAC Second Team All-Star, with 12 points and nine rebounds. Stamatiades netted 11 points while junior forward Dominique McClendon (Seaside, CA / Seaside) totaled 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Trapp ended up with seven points, four assists, and six steals.

“The unsung heroes made this win happen for us tonight, Lightning bench boss Eric Harrison, the CUNYAC Coach of the Year. Monique Sampson and Tiara Carroll played great in the second half, and we won in spite of a poor shooting night.”

Reid and McClendon earned spots on the CUNYAC All-Tournament Team alongside Carroll and Most Valuable Player Sampson. Melanie D’Ambrosi and LaShannen Hogue from semifinalists College of Staten Island and John Jay College, also received honors.

Lehman (19-9) will now advance to the NCAA Division III Championship for the first time in school history. The opening round is scheduled to begin Thursday, March 1, with selections being announced this Sunday, February 25, on the NCAA website (www.ncaachampionships.com). Baruch falls to 20-8 but is still in line for an at-large NCAA bid or an ECAC Championship appearance.