Boston, Mass. - The Lesley University men's basketball team came erased a 12-point deficit in the final 11 minutes of play, led by a game-high 33 points from senior guard Joseph Chapman (Boston, Mass.), to defeat host University of Massachusetts Boston, 87-80, in the first round of the 23rd Annual Hampton Inn Harbor Invitational tonight at the Clark Athletic Center on the UMass Boston campus. The Beacons fall to 0-2 on the season, while the Lynx improve to 2-2. Lesley will play in tomorrow's 3:00 p.m. championship game vs. Framingham State College, which was an 82-66 winner over University of Maine at Fort Kent. UMB will take on the Bengals in the 1:00 p.m. consolation contest.
UMass Boston owned a 61-49 lead with 11:01 to play in the second half, before senior swingman Mark Stevens knocked down a three-pointer for the Lynx, to cap a 14-7 run and pull them to within 68-63 with 7:29 showing in the second half. The Beacons got their lead back to 76-67 with 4:29 remaining in the game, but Lesley continued to chip away, scoring the next seven points, including four from freshman center Jesus Trejo (Methuen, Mass.), to cut the margin to 76-74 with 1:50 to go in the half. Senior point guard A.J. Titus (Roxbury, Mass.) converted a pair of free throws to give the Beacons a 78-74 lead with 1:26 to play in the contest, but Chatman made a pair of free throws and later followed it with a lay-up and a free throw to complete a three-point play to give the Lynx their first lead, since the first half, at 79-78 with 52 seconds to go in the second stanza. Senior forward Amigo Paniagua (Santiago, DR) was fouled on the other end and sunk a pair of free throws for UMass Boston to reclaim the lead at 80-79 with 50 seconds left, but it would be the last time the Beacons would score as Chatman made a lay-up with 38 seconds left on the second half clock to give Lesley an 82-81 edge. The Lynx netted the game's final five points to close out the night.
Lesley owned a 15-14 lead with 12:07 to play in the first half, but the Beacons went on a torrid 11-0 run, fueled by five points from sophomore forward Ernst Jean (Malden, Mass.), to take a 25-15 advantage with 8:49 showing in the opening half. UMass Boston maintained a 31-21 lead with 6:11 to go in the first half, before the Lynx went on a 10-2 run, paced by five points from Trejo, to close to within 33-31 with 57 seconds to go before the intermission. The Beacons went into the half with a 35-31 lead and opened the second session with a 13-6 stretch to take a 48-37 lead with 16:11 to go in the second half, led by five points from sophomore guard Anthony Matlock (Seattle, Wash.). UMass Boston would lead by no less than six points until taking its largest lead of the game at 61-49 with 11:01 to play.
Chatman was 9-16 from the floor and almost perfect at the line, canning 14 of 15 tries to go with four rebounds, two steals and two assists for Lesley. Trejo posted a double-double of 24 points and 14 rebounds in addition to an assist, while Stevens netted 20 points on 7-12 from the floor and added seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.
The Lynx shot 51.9% (14-27) from the floor in the second half and was 26-33 (78.8%) from the line in the second stanza.
Paniagua led the Beacons with a season-high 26 points and added six rebounds, three steals, two assists and a pair of blocks, while Matlock finished with 19 points on 7-13 from the field, including 4-9 from three-point range and dished for an assist and made a steal. Sophomore center Terrell Maddox (Hyannis, Mass.) contributed with 10 points on 5-7 shooting to go with six rebounds, two assists and a block in 22 minutes of action and Titus led all playmakers with a season-high seven assists in addition to four points, six rebounds and two steals.
To learn more about the Lesley University men's basketball team, please visit their website.