GORHAM, Maine – Regis College used defensive pressure to take an early lead, but Lehman College battled back in the second half and then held on for a 62-57 victory over the Pride Friday night in the first round of the USM Tip-Off Tournament hosted by the University of Southern Maine at Hill Gymnasium.
Cameron Wilkins (Taunton, Mass.) once again led the Pride, shooting 6-for-7 from the field as he notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Justin Evelyn (Uniondale, N.Y.), Joshua Perez (Lynn, Mass.), and Tate Pike (Bellingham, Mass.) each scored 10 points, Jalil Wilkerson (New Haven, Conn.) finished with five points, three assists, and six steals, and Thomas Ahlstrom (San Antonio, Texas) pulled down a team-high eight rebounds to go along with six points.
Regis scored the first four points of the game on consecutive baskets by Ahlstrom, and then the Pride put together an 11-2 scoring run, including three-pointers from Evelyn and Wilkerson as well as a traditional three-point play by Perez, to extend their lead to 17-6.
Later in the first half, the Pride scored eight unanswered points, the last four by Wilkins, to open their largest lead of the half at 29-13. After a Pike three-pointer reestablished the 16-point advantage, Lehman rattled off five straight points to close to within 11 before a Wilkins free throw in the final second gave Regis a 35-23 halftime lead.
Will Feldman opened the scoring in the second half with a three-pointer as Lehman rattled off 11 straight points in the first five minutes after halftime before Pike hit a three-pointer. The Lightning scored seven unanswered points, taking the lead on a three-pointer by Cesar Fernandez.
The Pride briefly retook the lead at 51-49 on a three-pointer by Perez and a layup from Wilkins, but Lehman answered with a three-pointer from Isaiah Geathers. The Lightning held Regis without a field goal for six-and-a-half minutes late in the second half before a three-pointer from Evelyn brought the Pride within one at 58-57, but Feldman made all four of his free throw attempts in the last 11 seconds of regulation to close out the game.
Geathers led all players with 22 points, Feldman enjoyed a perfect shooting night on his way to 15 points, and Gian Batista contributed eight points, eight rebounds, and five assists. As a team, the Lightning shot 42.9 percent (21-of-49) from the field and 82.4 percent (14-of-17) from the free throw line.
Lehman (2-0) committed 26 turnovers, leading to 20 Regis points, but the Lightning did score 23 points off 23 Pride turnovers. Regis shot 37.9 percent (22-of-58) from the field and 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from the free throw line.
Regis (0-2) will face Maine-Presque Isle in the consolation game of the USM Tip-Off Tournament Saturday, Nov. 13, starting at 1 p.m. UMPI lost to Southern Maine in the first game of the tournament Friday, 81-68.