CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - For the first time in program history, the Lesley University women's basketball team will take part in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Playoffs and are seeded in the third spot. The Lynx will travel to the host site SUNY Cobleskill and take on No.2 seeded VTSU Lyndon on Friday, February 21, at 7:30 p.m.
The Lynx and head coach Martin Rather are looking forward to the playoff run for Lesley and feel like they can continue the momentum in the postseason. "This is exciting," said Rather. "For the first time in more than a decade, our program has 10-plus wins on the season. Now, for the first time in team history, we are turning our focus to the North Atlantic Conference playoffs. We are playing a very good Vermont State-Lyndon team on Friday. They shoot the ball very well and have an older, more experienced team. That said, these Lynx have exceeded expectations all season. I'm so proud of our team. With continued focus and a dedication to our core principle of 'daring to be great', I believe we can continue our momentum in the playoffs."
Five Things To Know
- Lesley and VTSU Lyndon will face off for the third time this year. The Hornets have won both matchups but most recently, only won by four (49-45) on Feb. 11.
- In neutral-site games, the Lynx are currently 2-0, whereas the Hornets are 0-1.
- Defensively, Lesley ranks within the top three (third) of the NAC in total points allowed, whereas VTSU Lyndon ranks fourth.
- On the glass, the Lynx are the third-best rebounding team in the NAC with 1,032 rebounds. Meanwhile, the Hornets are seventh with 858.
- Friday's matchup will be the first-ever postseason meeting between the two teams.
Who To Watch For
- Bella Terry (El Cajon, Calif.) will be relied upon both sides of the ball Friday as the junior center/forward led the team in numerous categories. On the offensive side of the ball, she was the team's leading scorer with 317 points (12.7 ppg). Terry scored 10+ points in 18 games; three of those contests were 20+ point outings. In those games where she finished with 20+ points, the Lynx were 2-1. In Terry's two games against VTSU Lyndon this year, she scored 29 points (14.5 ppg). She also finished the year with 14 double-doubles, tied for 12th in the country, and in Lesley's most recent matchup with VTSU Lyndon, Terry recorded a 14-point, 16-rebound (career-high) double-double. On the glass, Terry was one of the top rebounders in the conference with a team-high 239 rebounds (9.6 rpg), the fourth-best in the NAC. She also was a force in the paint with a team-best 40 blocks, highlighted by a career-high six blocks against the Hornets (Feb. 11).
- Another key student-athlete on both sides of the ball for the Lynx will be Leila Chisholm (Santa Barbara, Calif.). Chisholm was second on the team in scoring with 244 points (9.8 ppg) and finished with 10+ points in 12 games, two of which were 20+ point outings. In both games she scored 20+ points, the Lynx were 2-0. Her strongest performance came in a win at Fisher College (Jan. 28) when she tied her career-high in points (23). On the defensive side of the ball, Chisholm was all over the floor for the Lynx, finishing with a career and NAC-best 70 steals. Her 70 steals have her ranked 27th in the country, and she is the only NAC student-athlete ranked within the top 30 of the category in the nation. Chisholm had a stretch on the year where she had a steal in 12-straight games (Nov. 28-Jan.12), including a career-high seven at UMaine Presque Isle (Jan. 7). In both her games against the Hornets she scored a total 19 points (9.5 ppg).
- Lesley's other scorer to reach the 200-point plateau was Ahidali DeHuelbes (Tucson, Ariz.) , who finished third on the team with 241 points (10.0 ppg). DeHuelbes was another consistent scorer for the Lynx recording 10+ points in 13 games highlighted by a career-high 20 points in a win at VTSU Johnson (Jan. 15). DeHuelbes was also one of Lesley's stronger rebounders this year too as she finished second on the team with 161 boards (6.7 rpg) which was ranked ninth in the NAC. On the year, DeHuelbes finished with three double-doubles and tied her career-high in rebounds (11) three times. In her two games against VTSU Lyndon, she scored 16 points (8.0 ppg) and brought down 12 rebounds (6.0 rpg).
- For VTSU Lyndon, the Hornets offense will feature three-time NAC Player of the Week, Sage Smith, who finished the year with 473 points (19.7 ppg). Smith was the top scorer in the NAC and ranked within the top 30 of the nation in scoring (tied for 20th) and is the only member of the conference to be ranked within the top 20. Beyond the arc, Smith was one of the better shooters after finishing with a team-high 35.1 percent, which was second in the conference. On the year, she notched 10+ points in 23 contests 10 of which were 20+ point games highlighted by a program-high 42 points versus SUNY Delhi (Jan. 25). On the glass, she was also one of the Hornets stronger rebounders finishing second on the team with 143 boards (6.0 rpg) and 19 games with five or more rebounds. In her two games against the Lynx, Smith scored 33 points (16.5 ppg) and brought down 13 rebounds (6.5 rpg).
- The Hornets' offense features four other scorers who have scored at least 100 points on the year,: Kadienne Whitcomb, 229 points (9.5 ppg); Ella Huntington, 176 points (7.7 ppg); Kiara Mack, 166 points (6.9 ppg); and Kerigan Disorda, 112 points (4.9 ppg).
What's Next
The winners of both NAC West Division quarterfinals on Friday will meet on Saturday, February 22, for the semifinals at a time to be determined later.