CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Lesley University men's basketball team defeated North Atlantic Conference opponent Maine Maritime Academy 57-54 while the women's basketball team lost to the Mariners 63-54.
On senior night for the men, captains Joe Chatman (Boston, Mass.) and Mark Stevens (Las Vegas, Nev.) scored 12 and 11 points, respectively in the win. Freshman Jesus Trejo (Methuen, Mass.) scored a team-high 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor. Trejo also grabbed nine rebounds in 26 minutes of work.
The Mariners saw quality performances from Derek DiFrederico (Millinocket, Me.), Neil Stewart (Rangeley, Me.) and Chad Paddock (Dayton, Ohio) as they scored 17, 12, and 10 points a piece.
Both teams struggled somewhat offensively as they combined to hit only 6-of-32 three-point attempts. Free throws were an issue as well with the Mariners hitting 50.0% and the Lynx hitting 52.4%.
Lesley was able to come up with crucial defensive stops towards the end of the game to seal the victory. With the win, the Lynx improved to 8-15 (6-5 NAC) while the Mariners dropped to 9-12 (6-5 NAC).
In the women's game, Courtnie Leakeas (Lowell, Mass.) and Kaitlyn Wechsler (Merrick, N.Y.) provided much of the offense for the Lynx as the two combined for 34 of Lesley's 54 points. Leakeas finished with 19 points, six rebounds, and two assists while Wechsler had 15 points and seven rebounds.
Maine Maritime's Kaitlyn Leeman (Baileyville, Me.) scored 14 points and had four assists to lead the Mariners in those categories. Amethyst Cousins (Tremont, Me.) and Tatum Welch (Newport, Me.) scored in double-figures as they had 12 and 10 points, respectively. Cousins completed the double-double as she grabbed 10 rebounds, six of them offensive.
The Mariners were able to convert 27 Lynx turnovers into 23 points while committing 17 of their own. The Mariners showed their depth as their bench outscored the Lynx 33-2.
With the victory, Maine Maritime improved to 15-8 (10-2 NAC) while Lesley dropped to 10-12 (4-7 NAC).
To learn more about Lesley University's men's and women's basketball teams, please visit their websites.