THE BASICS 
Lesley University, 56 vs. Vermont State University (VTSU) Johnson, 50

Records: 
Lesley University Lynx (8-12, 3-7 NAC)
VTSU Johnson Badgers (1-19, 1-9 NAC) 

Location: Lexington, Mass.-Minuteman Gymnasium

Date: Saturday, February 1, 2025

THE LEAD – In a game that saw three Lynx score in double-figures, the Lesley University women's basketball team came away with a 56-50 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) victory Saturday afternoon against VTSU Johnson.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Early in the first, both teams matched each other basket for basket. After a Kristie Zator three evened things at seven, Lesley gave itself some breathing room after an Ahidali DeHuelbes (Tucson, Ariz.) layup made it 12-7 with 5:19 left in the quarter. However, VTSU Johnson responded when Faith Meade converted an and-one opportunity with less than two minutes (1:52) left in the quarter, making it 12-10.
• Despite being down by a basket, Lesley closed out the remainder of the quarter by outscoring VTSU Johnson 5-2 and took a 17-12 lead into the second thanks to two DeHuelbes free throws and a Leila Chisholm (Santa Barbara, Calif.) three.
• Lesley's offense continued its strong start going into the second as the squad pushed its lead back to five (21-15) after a Bella Terry (El Cajon, Calif.) layup led to a VTSU Johnson timeout with a little under eight minutes (7:58) left until halftime. Coming out of the break, the Lynx were not deterred as the squad grabbed its first double-digit lead (30-19) thanks to a Terry layup with 2:12 left in the second. Lesley kept VTSU Johnson at bay for the remainder of the half and went into the half with a 33-23 lead. 
• At the start of the third, Lesley continued to maintain a 10-point lead after Terry knocked down a jumper to make it 35-25. However, the Badgers chipped away at the deficit and made it a four-point game (38-34) courtesy of a 9-3 rally that led to a VTSU Johnson timeout with 2:51 left in the quarter. Kristie Zator spearheaded the rally with five points for the visitors.
• From then on, that would be the closest the Lynx let the Badgers get for the rest of the third as the squad outscored the Badgers 5-2 and would go into the fourth up 43-36. 
• In the fourth, it was a defensive battle, as neither side scored for four minutes. However, DeHuelbes broke the scoring drought when she knocked down a three with 6:07 left, making it 46-36. After the break, VTSU Johnson again picked away the deficit and made it a five-point game (51-45) with a 9-5 run with 46 seconds left, forcing Lesley to call a timeout. 
• Coming back from the timeout, Lesley's defense once again held strong. It did not allow VTSU Johnson to gain any more momentum, securing the eventual 56-50 win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Chisholm led all scorers with 20 points and has now scored at least 20 or more points in two of her last three games. 
• Lesley's other scorers in double figures included Terry with 14, and DeHuelbes with 13 points. DeHuelbes also finished Saturday's contest with a double-double as she grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. She has now recorded three double-doubles in her career. 
• Riann Fortin led VTSU Johnson in scoring with 16 points, followed by Zator with 15 points to round out scorers in double-digits for the Badgers. 
• The Lynx held the advantage in the rebounding battle by a 46-35 margin. 
• Saturday's win marked the first time Lesley has swept a season series against a NAC opponent since the 2006-07 season against Bay Path University. 
• Lesley has now extended its win streak against VTSU Johnson to three games. 

UP NEXT

• Lesley continues its six-game homestand with a non-conference matchup against Salem State University. Tip-off for the contest is slated for 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5.