Story courtesy of Rob Palardy, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A much improved Lesley University men’s basketball team reached the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Semifinals this season thanks in large part to the consistent play in the low-post by big man Jesus Trejo (METHUEN, Mass./Methuen).  In that semifinal game against Becker College Trejo reached the 1,000 career points plateau, a feat never before accomplished by a Lynx men’s basketball player.

Needing just one point to reach 1,000 for his career entering the game against the Hawks, Trejo scored a layup in the paint at the start of the first half and made program history. 

With the 2009-2010 season now in the books, Trejo now stands as the Lesley all-time scoring leading with 1,010 points.  He also is the school’s all-time rebounding leader with 872 total rebounds.  For his career, he averages a double-double with 13.5 points per game and 11.6 rebounds per game. 

Head Coach Donald Morris spoke about Trejo’s impact on the Lynx men’s basketball program, “Jesus has been our most influential recruit since the program began six years ago.  He has been the type of young man you could build a program around and others look up to.  The effort he gives his team and coaches all year round is more than any coach could ask for.  I believe with each year he has matured in every area of the game.  Jesus is always looking for ways to help improve himself, his teammates and the program at Lesley.”

Trejo, who just finished his junior season with the Lynx, came to Lesley with the expectation that he was going to be a program-changing player.  Over the course of his three years thus far, he has done just that.  The men’s basketball program is still relatively young, having been in existence for only five seasons, but Trejo’s impact will be one that is everlasting. 

In his first season with the Lynx from 2007-2008, Trejo played alongside some tremendous players who helped developed the big man into the consistent threat that he is.  Trejo learned much from his teammates that first season and passed the previous Lesley all-time scoring record-holder following a 32-point game against Mitchell College on February 16 of this year.

Trejo took on a new role as the team’s go-to scorer with the departure of several key players from his first season and he did not disappoint.  Trejo improved his averages from his freshman season and led the team in scoring and rebounding with 13.7 points per game and 12.8 rebounds per game.  The Lynx did not make the playoffs in his sophomore season, but Trejo was honored by the NECC as an All-Conference Honorable Mention. 

Before the start of the 2009-2010 season, Trejo was invited to play on the USA Athletes International Basketball Team that traveled to Ireland to compete in the Irish Roots Tour in the summer of 2009.  Trejo competed along side several top NCAA Division III players and a Division I NAIA player in a series of games against Irelands Superleague teams.  The team won five out of their six games and Trejo averaged around 15 points per game and 10 rebounds per game.  The only team they lost to was Killester, who won the Ireland Superleague Championship later on.

This past season at Lesley with the addition of quality newcomers, the Lynx succeeded in the NECC and reached the conference semifinals only to fall to the top seed Becker College.  Trejo remained consistent with his performance from the season before with an average of 13.9 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game.  The conference once against recognized his abilities with a Second Team All-Conference nod. 

Trejo will return next year for his senior season with the Lynx and as history has shown, his impact on the court will continue to bring success for the Lesley men’s basketball program.  The Lynx look to return to the NECC playoffs in 2010-2011 with the hopes of winning the conference tournament and earning the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament.