Lightning could strike twice at tourney

It was near the end of practice late Monday afternoon and most of the Lehman men’s basketball team had just left the court as the women’s team arrived for their own practice. But there was Lightning senior Olusegun Williams, out of DeWitt Clinton High School, lingering on the court and shouting a message to no one in particular.

“It’s senior year and I want a ring,” Williams said multiple times.  

Well, Williams and the men’s team — and the women’s team as well — will get their shot at snagging championship rings this week as both teams go into the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) tournament as the number one seeds. It’s a rare feat but one that both teams are embracing as the chase begins for championship hardware.

“It’s the first time it’s happened around here and it’s definitely pretty exciting,” said Lehman women’s head coach Eric Harrison, who guided the Lightning to an 18-7 overall record and a 13-3 CUNYAC mark. “There’s a cool buzz around campus. Everyone is energetic and everyone’s into it.”

 The women’s team, led by CUNYAC Player of the Year Amely Del Rosario, clinched the CUNYAC regular-season title on Valentine’s Day with a convincing 69-58 victory over CCNY. Ironically, that’s the same team the women will battle in Wednesday night’s semifinal game at CCNY at 6 p.m. as they look for their first CUNYAC championship since 2007.

“We beat them twice and they were two very good games,” Harrison said. “It’s a big advantage for them to be playing at home so we know we really have to be on top of our game. We know they’re going to battle us, they played us close both times. We feel we’re the better team, but we know it’s not going to be a cakewalk.”

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