BRONX, NY --- (www.YORKATHLETICS.com) York College men's basketball CUNYAC Championship run ended Saturday afternoon, falling 91-87 in the first round to the third-seeded Lehman College Lightning (19-7) inside APEX Arena.

How it Happened

• A triple by Juan Fernandez got Lehman out to a 13-4 lead four minutes in.
• Rohan Singh's 11 points keyed an 11-1 burst that saw York go ahead 15-14.
• Two transition layups from Olawale Kila gave the Cardinals a 25-21 advantage at the 11:25 mark of the first half.
• Orchestrating its offense, York was able to maintain a five-point margin (37-32) after a layup from Tyres Desinor with 6:17 remaining. 
• A quick 5-0 spurt from the Lightning knotted the game at 37.
• An end to end battle, Kai Parris converted a 3-point play with 0:06 showing on the clock to give Lehman a 44-43 lead at intermission.
• The Cardinals kept pace with the Lightning offense early in the second period, as a Desinor layup made the score 51-49 Lehman.
• The Lightning surged ahead by double-figures (62-50) following an 11-1 blitz.
• Another Parris 3-point play gave Lehman a 14-point advantage (67-53) with 11:29 remaining in the game.
• Leading 69-59, the Lightning appeared to have all but clinched a victory after a 7-0 burst extended their lead to 17 (76-59) at the 6:20 mark.
• Battling back, the Cardinals pulled within single digits (80-71) after Aidony Nivar sank two freebies with 3:25 showing on the clock.  
• York got within seven on three occasions (80-73), (82-75), and (84-77), but each instance the Lightning responded with a bucket to push the lead back to nine. 
• Kila's two triples in the last six seconds demonstrated York fought to the end, ultimately falling 91-87.

Leading the Cardinals

• Kila recorded his 14th double-double of the season (23rd career) with 32 points (14-of-21 FG, 2-of-2 3FG) and 18 rebounds to go along with a team-leading three swats.
• Desinor added 17 points (7-of-12 FG), seven rebounds, and three assists.
• Singh tallied 15 points (7-of-7 FT) and four dimes.
• Nivar chipped in with 12 points, four assists, and a team-best five steals.
• Tafari Jerome contributed nine points, six boards, and four assists off the bench.

For Lehman

• Parris paced the Lightning offense with 33 points (12-of-22 FG, 2-of-4 3FG, 7-of-8 FT).
• DeAundre Manuel produced a double-double with 21 points (10-of-15 FG) and 17 rebounds to go along with three swipes.
• Fernandez totaled 13 points and five rebounds.
• Cameron Burns controlled the tempo with 12 points (3-of-7 FG, 5-of-7 FT) and a game-high eight dimes.
• Lasana Camara swatted away six shots.

Inside the Box Score
York shot 39.2 percent (29-of-74) from the field, 29.2 percent (7-of-24) from beyond the arc, and sank a season-best 22 free throws. Lehman shot 51.4 percent (36-of-70) from the floor, 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from 3-point territory, and 81.3 percent (13-of-16) from the charity stripe. 

The Lightning owned narrow margins in the rebound (42-40) and assist (20-16) departments while York held a slight edge in steals (10-9). In a relatively clean game featuring seven ties and six lead changes, Lehman's size proved a difference maker, outscoring York 52-38 in the paint.

The Cardinals graduate a four-member class consisting of Austinson Cooke (2021-24), Desinor (2023-24), Micaiah Goosby (2022-23), and Kila (2019-2024) as they look to build up their program under first-year head coach Clarence Emengo.
 
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