Pelham Daily Sports Digest: Pelican Basketball Falls To Saunders

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Down and out

The Rider University women’s basketball team is 8-4, but the Broncs likely would be doing better if Shereen Lightbourne of Elmsford was in the lineup.

Lightbourne, a junior guard out of Alexander Hamilton HS, was lost for the season after suffering a knee injury in September.

Lightbourne was the team’s most valuable player as a sophomore after leading the team in scoring and field goals made while playing in 29 games, making 26 starts. She was also tied as Rider’s second-best free-throw shooter at 75 percent.

At Alexander Hamilton, Lightbourne was a four-year letter-winner in basketball, earning all-League and team MVP honors each year as a team captain. She scored more than 1,000 points in her scholastic career, and also earned three varsity letters in track and one in volleyball.

A member of the honor roll and student council, Lightbourne’s father, Lester, is a Lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department, and her mother, Delores, is a social worker.

McSharar Continues Stellar Season

Jen McSharar of Garnerville, a forward on the Manhattanville College women’s basketball team, was named Freedom Conference player of the week on the heels of her third double-double of the season.

McSharar, a graduate of North Rockland High School, had 12 points and 12 rebounds as the Valiants beat rival Purchase College, 76-47. She also had back-to-back double-doubles earlier this season against New York University and Messiah College on Dec. 7 and Dec. 17, respectively.

Against Purchase, McSharar also had three steals and a blocked shot. The junior leads the team averaging 7.8 rebounds per game through the first 12 games of the season. She also leads the team in steals with 22, blocked shots with six, and is second on the team in assists with 23.

Junior guard Taylor Wilson of Pearl River had eights and two assists in the win over Purchase. For the Panthers, senior guard Alyse LaPadula of New Rochelle dished off on nine baskets, to go along with six rebounds and two points.

Manhattanville (5-7, 0-2 Freedom) enters the conference portion of the schedule for the rest of the season that starts Wednesday night (Jan. 11) at 6 p.m. when the Valiants visit FDU-Florham in Madison, NJ. Game coverage will be available for both the women’s game and the men’s game which follows at 8 p.m. on WMVL 88.1 FM.

The Valiants are back at Kennedy Gym in Purchase on Jan. 14 to battle Wilkes University (4-8) in Wilkes-Barre, PA, at 1 p.m.

The Purchase women’s team (3-6, 0-3 Skyline Conference) hosts SUNY College at Old Westbury on Thursday night (Jan. 12) at 5 p.m.

The Purchase men’s team (6-5, 4-0 Skyline Conference) meets their counterparts from SUNY College at Old Westbury at approximately 7 p.m., following the women’s game. The Panthers’ roster includes veteran forward Justin Person of Greenburgh and Woodlands HS, and freshman center Joel Neri of Port Chester.

Yesterday’s Results:

Sport: Boys Basketball

Game: Saunders vs. Pelham

Score: Saunders Won 63-56

Highlights: The Saunders duo of Jerrell Benitez and Mike Sullivan each scored 21 points in the win while Elion Mustafaj had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Matt Henson led the Pelicans in the loss with 21 points.

Today’s Schedule:

In Ice Hockey, Pelham and Irvington will face off at the Ice Hutch at 6:30 p.m.