CUNYAC Women's Final....

Sorry for the long layoff. Here's good ole Erick Blasco picking up the slack:

Lightning strikes Baruch as Lehman College wins CUNY Championship

Young Jeezy’s “Go Getta” blared throughout the Nat Holman Gymnasium after the Women’s CUNYAC Final Friday, night. It was the appropriate song to cap off Lehman College’s incredible evening. Down by 11 points late in the 2nd half, they went out and got themselves a championship, beating Baruch College 52-51.
Even without Preseason All-American Chiresse Paradise who was injured in their quarterfinal matchup with City Tech, The Baruch Bearcats had a dominant team full of speed and athleticism. Baruch had won 31 straight CUNYAC Conference games, were the defending CUNYAC Champions, and had the honor of being the first CUNYAC women’s basketball team to win a game in the Division 3 NCAA tournament, when they upset Mount St. Mary last year 66-64.
The number 1 seeded, and more talented Baruch Bearcats looked poised to blow past the 3 seeded Lehman Lightning early on in the game. They led 32-21 with 2:11 left to go in the half, using their superior athleticism and depth to attack Lehman in waves. Three different Baruch players scored at least 7 points in the half with Dominique McClendon (8 PTS 3-5 FG) using a variety of spin moves to attack the basket, Ally Stamatiades ( 9 PTS 3-6 FG 2-2 3FG) filling the basket with a lethal outside jump shot, and Racquel Reid (7 PTS 3-8 FG 1-3 3FG) knocking down shots from inside and outside.
To make matters worse for Lehman, Their star player, CUNYAC player of the year, Sally Nnamani, was held in check by Stamatiades’s perfect technique defense, not allowing Nnamani to drive to the basket, and forcing her to take long, contested, jumpers. A 5-0 Lehman run to close out the half, fueled by a Nnamani 3, and capped by a Tiara Carroll short jumper in the lane allowed Lehman to stay close at the half with a 32-26 deficit.
The second half started out much the same way the first half went: With Baruch scoring points at will. Racquel Reid scored 5 points within the first 2 minutes of the half, and Jody Trapp knocked down a 3 to give the Bearcats a 42-31 lead with 17 minutes left to go in the game. After a brief Lehman spurt, the lead ballooned back up to 11 with Myleka Garnett hitting two free throws, and Stamatiades driving to the basket from the right wing for a layup with 12:33 left in the game.
Unfortunately for Baruch, Stamatiades sprained her ankle landing on her layup. The Bearcats would never record a field goal the rest of the game.
After Jody Trapp hit a pair of free throws Baruch’s next possession, the Bearcats went through a 6 minute stretch of 7 turnovers---many unforced---a blocked 3, and no other shots attempted.
While Baruch was folding, Lehman was beginning to play inspired basketball. Kathy Santiago hit a runner in the lane, Sally Nnamani deflected an errant pass to herself for an uncontested fast break, Kim Kelly was left under the basket for a layup off the Baruch full-court press, and Santiago was able to make a pass to a cutting Monique Sampson for an easy layup.
After two more Baruch free throws, Sally Nnamani made a “player of the year” type play, starting on the right baseline, dribbling hard to the middle, spinning away from the basket, and unleashing a behind the back, over the head pass into the arms of Monique Sampson for an easy layup, cutting the lead to 51-48.
A Kathy Santiago steal and layup, cut the lead to one on the next possession, and a Santiago layup the possession after gave Lehman an improbable 1 point lead with 4:36 to go.
Meanwhile, Baruch was still in the midst of a miserable collapse. Stamatiades returned to miss an open layup, and make two passes stolen by Lehman down the stretch. Racquel Reid missed an uncontested 3, and Naesha Tyler-Moore dribbled the basketball right into Kim Kelly’s outstretched arms with a minute to go. Baruch’s defense was steadfast, not allowing any Lehman points after Santiago’s layup. After a Nnamani miss, the Bearcats had one final shot at surviving the game, and winning the championship.
Unfortunately, even Baruch’s coaching staff choked with the game in the balance. Off a timeout, Baruch’s coach Machli Joseph surprisingly decided to have his 5-2 point guard Jody Trapp race the length of the floor while guarded by the 5-11, and ultra athletic Nnamani. Trapp never got a good look at the basket, and her last second shot attempt was swatted away by Sampson.
After the final buzzer sounded, the ecstatic Lehman Lightning stormed the court and embraced on the floor, realizing that they had come back from 11 points down to win the CUNYAC Championship, and advance to the Division 3 NCAA tournament.
Despite scoring only 10 points, Monique Sampson was named MVP of the game, and of the entire tournament. She added 9 rebounds and the very key game-clinching block. The Player of the Year, Sally Nnamani was shut down to the tune of 8 points on 3-18 shooting, including 1-10 on 3’s, but she did record 4 blocked shots in the 1st half, keeping the game close. Kathy Santiago scored 10 points, recorded 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. Tiara Carroll led Lehman in scoring with 14, and also had 2 blocks. She joined Sampson on the All CUNYAC Tournament Team.
As for the Bearcats, their collapse likely ends their season. With a 22-9 record in a weak conference, they will likely be sitting on their couches when the NCAA tournament starts March 1st. The Bearcats committed an unsightly 17 turnovers in the 2nd half, and were held without a field goal for the final 12:33. Being that Baruch had gone undefeated in CUNYAC play the last two years, reeling off 31 straight conference wins in that span, their implosion is as stunning as it is epic. Baruch was heavily favored, and many believed was dangerous heading into the tournament. They were led by Racquel Reid, and Dominique McClendon, both named to the All Tournament Team. Reid finished with 12 points, McClendon with 10. Stamatiades scored 11, but only had the bucket in which she injured her ankle in the 2nd half. Baruch committed 25 turnovers, compared to Lehman’s 14.