CHICOPEE, Mass. - For the first time in school history, a Lesley University team will have the opportunity to win a North Atlantic Conference Championship.  The men's basketball team defeated Husson College 63-55 in the semifinals to earn the right to face Elms College on Saturday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m. in Chicopee.

Joe Chatman (Boston, Mass.) and Mark Stevens (Las Vegas, Nev.) showed that they were not ready to play their final game in a Lynx uniform as they finished with 21 and 18 points, respectively, leading Lesley to victory.  Chatman also had five rebounds, five assists, and three steals in the winning effort.  He was flawless from the free throw line as he hit all 12 of his free throw attempts.

Stevens completed the double-double as he grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with his 18 points.  He shot 7-of-13 from the field including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc.  Both senior captains played nearly the entire game as both players rested for only three minutes combined.

Freshman Jesus Trejo (Methuen, Mass.) was a terror on the boards grabbing 12 rebounds as well as tallying six points.

The Eagles had three players in double-digit points, but it was not enough to catapult them over the Lynx.  Sheruad Lee (Bridgeport, Conn.), Brock Bradford (Kenduskeag, Me.), and Matt MacKenzie (Warren, Me.) had 17, 13, and 12 points a piece. 

Husson kept themselves close the entire game.  At one point, the Eagles had the lead by only one point, but quickly lost it to the Lynx after a Jermaine Harris (Haverhill, Mass.) lay up with 15:52 left in the game.  Lesley developed a slightly comfortable lead for the rest of the game and left the semifinals with a victory and a ticket to the championship game against Elms College.

With the victory, the Lynx improved to 12-15 on the season while the Eagles finished off their 2007-2008 season with a 17-10 record. 

To learn more about the Lesley University men's basketball team, please visit their website.