CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Feb. 23, 2024) – The No. 1 seed Baruch College Bearcats defeated the No. 3 seed Lehman College Lightning, 73-71, to win the 2024 CUNYAC Men's Basketball Championship at Baruch's ARC Arena. With the victory, the Bearcats earned the league's automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship.
The trilogy proved to be nothing short of a classic, as the contest featured 20 ties and 16 lead changes. Baruch once again came out on top, winning its third consecutive league championship, fourth in the last five seasons and sixth in program history.
Devin Nicholson, the 2024 CUNYAC Player of the Year, scored a team-high 21 points with four rebounds and three assists. For his performance, he was named the championship game's Most Valuable Player for a second straight season.
Tied at 68-all in the final minute of play, Baruch's Jehmehl Fair hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining in regulation. Lehman got within a point following a pair of free throws with 16 seconds on the clock, but timely free throws down the stretch secured the victory for Baruch and another conference title.
Mohamed Gueye finished with 15 points, three rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the victory, while Fair added 11 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Lehman's Kai Parris led all scorers with 23 points, while Cameron Burns added 13 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals.
The 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Selection Show is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 26 at 1:00 PM.
2024 CUNYAC Men's Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team
Championship Game MVP: Devin Nicholson, Baruch
Jehmehl Fair, Baruch
Mohamed Gueye, Baruch
Kai Parris, Lehman
Cameron Burns, Lehman
Kareem McDonald, Hunter
Edward Beqiri, CCNY
