Lehman Gives Fourth Ranked Scranton A Scare In NCAA First Round Contest

Lehman Gives Fourth Ranked Scranton A Scare In NCAA First Round Contest

Scranton, Pa. —It took a while for The University of Scranton to get started in Friday night’s 64-43 victory over Lehman College in a first-round game of the 2007 NCAA Division III championships at the Long Center .

The Lady Royals, ranked 3rd by D3hoops.com, led by only six, 37-31, with 11:40 remaining before junior forwards Michelle Fabio (Brick, N.J./St. Rose) and Kathleen Daly (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy) jump-started a game-breaking 12-2 run with that included back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Taryn Mellody (Dunmore, Pa./Bishop O’Hara) and junior guard Julie Brophy (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) with a pair of lay-ups as Scranton extended its lead to a comfortable 16-point margin, 49-33, with 8:38 remaining. Lehman College managed only 10 points the rest of the way to put the wraps on a 19-10 season.

Mellody finished with a game-high 24 points and seven rebounds and Fabio had eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds as the Lady Royals won their 62nd consecutive home game to improve to 26-2 overall and move into Saturday evening’s second-round game against Hamilton College, which defeated Mount Saint Mary College (NY), 58-55, in the other first-round game at the Long Center.

Sophomore forward Sally Nnamani ( New York, N.Y./Warwick Valley) led Lehman College with 13 points and senior guard Katherine Santiago ( Washington Heights, N.Y./Norman Thomas) added 11 points. For Nnamani, her 13 points was a milestone as she reached the 1,000 plateau for her career. She finishes her sophomore season with 1,010 points.

Neither team was able to generate much offense in the first-half. Mellody scored six points in the final four minutes of the first-half as the Lady Royals managed to squeeze out a 26-18 lead by intermission, despite making only 8 of 33 field goal attempts (24.2 percent). The Lightning also struggled from the field, connecting on only 5 of 24 shots and was out-rebounded by a 27-16 margin in the opening 20 minutes of play.

Lehman did manage to cut the lead to two, 30-28, on a lay-up by Nnamani with 13:55 remaining. Senior guard Allison Matt ( Allentown, Pa. / Allentown Central Catholic) then hit three straight free throws and Mellody answered with back-to-back baskets as Scranton stretched its lead to nine, 37-28. Nnamani hit a 3-pointer to make it a two-possession game before the Lady Royals kicked it in gear to put the game away.

Scranton out-rebounded Lehman, 51-27, and shot 42.4 percent from the field in the second-half to finish 33.3 percent for the game. The Lightning shot 36.0 percent from the field (9 of 25) in the second-half and 28.6 percent for the game (14 of 49).

Newspaper Box Score

THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON 64, LEHMAN COLLEGE 43

LEHMAN COLLEGE (19-10)

Nnamani, Sally 4-13 4-6 13; Santiago, Kathy 3-14 4-7 11; Carroll, Tiara 2-7 4-6 8; Loor, Maria 3-9 0-0 6; Sampson, Monique 2-4 1-1 5; Taylor, Taniefah 0-0 0-0 0; Kelly, Kimberly 0-1 0-0 0; Arrieta, Shirley 0-1 0-0 0; Totals 14-49 13-20 43.

THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON (26-2)

Mellody, Taryn 9-17 2-3 24; Fabio, Michelle 4-7 0-0 8; Matt, Allison 0-9 5-5 5; Brophy, Julie 2-5 0-0 5; Remington, Stephanie 2-6 0-0 5; Healy, Marisa 1-4 2-2 4; Williams, Tiffaney 1-3 2-4 4; Daly, Kathleen 1-5 1-2 3; Mooney, Ryan 0-0 2-2 2; Thran, Casey 1-6 0-0 2; Waiters, Tammy 1-3 0-0 2; Davis, Claire 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-66 14-18 64.

Lehman College................ 18 25 - 43

The University of Scranton .... 26 38 - 64

3-point goals-Lehman College 2-8 (Nnamani, Sally 1-4; Santiago, Kathy 1-3; Arrieta, Shirley 0-1), The University of Scranton 6-21 (Mellody, Taryn 4-7; Remington, Stephanie 1-4; Brophy, Julie 1-3; Thran, Casey 0-1; Davis, Claire 0-1; Matt, Allison 0-5).

Fouled out—Lehman College-Sampson, Monique, The University of Scranton-None. Rebounds-Lehman College 27 (Carroll, Tiara 8), The University of Scranton 51 (Fabio, Michelle 10).

Assists-Lehman College 8 (Carroll, Tiara 3), The University of Scranton 16 (Mooney, Ryan 3; Remington, Stephanie 3; Brophy, Julie 3). Total fouls-Lehman College 16, The University of Scranton 19. A-1000

LET'S GO LEHMAN!