THE BASICS 
No. 3 Lesley University Lynx, 62 vs. No. 2 VTSU Lyndon Hornets, 58

Location: Cobleskill, N.Y.-Iorio Gymnasium

Date: Friday, February 21, 2025

THE LEAD -  Led by Bella Terry's (El Cajon, Calif.) 20-point performance, the No. 3 seed Lesley University women's basketball team earned its first-ever North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Playoff win by topping No. 2 seed VTSU Lyndon, 62-58. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Lesley's offense started fast, as the squad scored the first nine points of the contest, led by five points from Ahidali DeHuelbes (Tucson, Ariz.). Even after VTSU Lyndon trimmed the deficit to five (9-4), the Lynx pushed their lead to as much as 11 (15-4) with 2:53 left in the first quarter. After a Mariana Richwine (Buckeye, Ariz.) three doubled up the Hornets (18-9), Lesley took an 18-10 lead going into the second. 
• In the second, the Lynx continued where they left off in the first and grabbed an early 11-point lead (26-15) after Terry knocked down a free throw. However, VTSU Lyndon responded the very next possession with a Sage Smith layup that made it 26-17, causing a Lesley timeout. Coming out of the break, the Hornets trimmed the deficit to five (28-23) after a Kadienne Whitcomb three with 2:45 left until halftime.
• The Hornets' late first-half push did not sway Lesley, as the squad closed out the first half on a 7-0 run for a 35-23 halftime advantage. Leila Chisholm (Santa Barbara, Calif.) helped the Lynx close the quarter with five points, highlighted by a three. 
• As the third quarter got underway, VTSU Lyndon was able to hang around as the Hornets pulled within six (37-31) after a Smith layup. However, the Lynx responded when Terry hit a jumper to make it 39-31 before Lesley called a timeout to gather themselves with 4:20 left in the third.
• After the timeout, Lesley maintained its breathing room and grabbed its largest lead of the quarter (47-34) after a Terry layup with 42 seconds remaining in the quarter. VTSU Lyndon would not end the frame quietly though. The Hornets grabbed three quick points with less than 30 seconds left to make it a 10-point deficit (47-37) going into the final quarter. 
• In the fourth, Lesley kept VTSU Lyndon at bay as the squad went back up by double-digits again for its biggest lead of the quarter (54-41) courtesy of a Chisholm three. Even with the 13-point advantage, the Hornets hung around and cut the Lynx lead down to seven (60-53) thanks to a 12-6 rally before the Lynx called a timeout with 1:18 left to play. Kiara Mack spearheaded the VTSU Lyndon run with six points. 
• Coming out of the break, Richwine and DeHuelbes would knock down clutch free throws at 52 seconds and 34 seconds, making it 62-53. Even with a late Ella Huntington layup and Whitcomb three to make it 62-58 with eight seconds left, it would be too late as Lesley would ultimately secure the 62-58 playoff win. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Terry led all scorers with 20 points Friday night. It was her fourth 20-point game of the season, and whenever she scores 20-plus points, the Lynx are 3-1. 
• Lesley's other double-figured scorers included DeHuelbes with 16 points, and Chisholm and Richwine chipped in 10. For Richwine, her 10 points marked a new career-high. 
• On the glass, Terry led the Lynx with nine boards. She also swatted away three shots on the night too. 
• DeHuelbes guided the Lesley offense all night, tying a career-high in assists with nine. 
• For the Hornets, Mack led the team with an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double. VTSU Lyndon's other double-figure scorer was Smith, who had 17. 
• Not only was tonight the program's first-ever NAC Playoff win, but it was also its first win over VTSU Lyndon, which had won the previous eight matchups.

UP NEXT

• No. 3 Lesley will take on No.1 seed SUNY Cobleskill in the NAC West Division Championship on Saturday, February 22, at 2:00 p.m.

Photo Credit: Saro Karageozian