THE BASICS 
Lesley University, 85 at Vermont State University-Johnson, 93

Records: 
Lesley University Lynx (3-14, 0-6, NAC)
Vermont State University-Johnson (VTSU) Badgers (4-13, 1-5, NAC) 

Location: Johnson, Vt. - Carter Gymnasium

Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2025

THE LEAD— Despite 24 points from Malachi Howard (Winter Haven, Fla.) and 23 from CJ Leonard (Raynham, Mass.) , the Lesley University men's basketball team came up short in Wednesday's North Atlantic Conference (NAC) matchup at VTSU-Johnson, 93-85. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Tied at four early in the first half, Leonard knocked down a three-pointer to give Lesley a quick 7-4 advantage. However, VTSU responded with a 10-2 run for a 14-9 advantage before the Lynx called timeout. Raymond Baka spearheaded the run with eight points on four straight buckets.
• Coming out of the timeout, the Badgers kept their distance when Luka Sward knocked down two free throws for an 18-12 lead at 13:55. Despite the large lead, Lesley had a run of its own and retook the lead thanks to a 9-0 spurt led by Tarell Joseph (Hempstead, N.Y.) who chipped in five points. 
• Later in the half, after a Tavon Rhodes (Dorchester, Mass.) layup gave the Lynx a 31-29 lead with 6:30 to go until halftime, VTSU's offense was on a hot streak and gave the hosts their first 10-point lead (41-31) thanks to a 12-0 burst. During the Badgers' surge of offense, Sabree Glover and Baker led the way with four points each.
• For the remainder of the first, VTSU kept Lesley at bay as the closest the Lynx would get was five (41-36), and the Badgers took a 45-36 lead going into halftime.
• As the second half got underway, the Badgers offense continued their momentum and found themselves up eight (52-44), but thanks to a 6-2 run by the Lynx, Lesley cut the deficit to four (54-50) after Angelo Blas (North Port, Fla.) knocked down two free throws with 15:29 left to play. 
• Later in the second, down three with under 10 minutes to play, Lesley grabbed its first second-half lead after a Jamarick Preston (Columbus, Ga.) lay-in and two Howard free throws made it 69-68 at 7:50.
• Both sides continued to match one another's play as the half went on. With the score tied at 76 with 3:10 left to play, Darone Frierson knocked down a clutch three for the hosts, giving VTSU a 79-76 lead. 
• While Lesley had opportunities to tie or take the lead at the end, VTSU held off any late Lesley rally and earned a 93-85 NAC win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS  

• Howard's 24 points lead all scorers on the night. He has finished with 20 or more points in six games this season.
• Leonard's 23 points marked a new career-high for the junior guard Wednesday evening. He has scored 20-plus points in three contests this year.
• The Lynx's other scorer in double-figures was Joseph, who chipped in a season-best 18 points. 
• Blas tied a season-high with seven assists Wednesday night. His seven helpers were also a game-high.
• Baka's double-double led the Badgers tonight with 20 points and 17 rebounds.
• VTSU-Johnson also saw five other scorers finish with 10 or more points Wednesday. Matthew Carter had 18, Mohammed Semega and Baker both had 13, Sward finished with 12, and Glover had 11.
• Lesley's defense played strong most of the night by forcing 15 VTSU turnovers compared to the Lynx's 13. 

UP NEXT

• Lesley continues its NAC road trip when the squad heads to Thomas College on Saturday, January 18 at 3:00 p.m.