BMCC Women Are Citywide Champs

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The BMCC Panthers celebrate their 57-53 victory over the Hostos Caimans. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

The Panthers stand for opening ceremonies. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

The Panthers' Gabrielle Alleyene outjumps Kristina Shcherban. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Alleyene drives down court. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Emani Odom has plenty of competition for the ball. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Odom passes off to Alyana Harris. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Justina Davis looks for a way around Alyana Harris. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

In the tense remaining minutes, Coach Veronica Sherman tries to rally the Panthers to break the Hostos momentum. Hostos had a 23-3 drive in the second half. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Emani Odom guards Hostos' Mecca Norfleet. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Sherman gives encouragement to Ashley Coffee. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Hostos fans come alive as their team narrows the BMCC lead. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Ashley Coffee drives down court, shadowed by Hostos guard Justina Davis. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

The Panthers win it, 57-53. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Gabrielle Aleyne, with 16 points, is named Player of the Game. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

"It's going to be an historic event, to say the least,” Coach Veronica Sherman said the day before her Borough of Manhattan Community College Panthers took on the Hostos Caimans Feb. 22 at BMCC.

“Historic” in Sherman’s eyes because the two women’s teams last met in the finals for CUNY’s community college championship in 2004, with the win going to Hostos.
In fact, BMCC’s women hadn’t held the trophy since 2003, when Sherman herself was on the team.

So the Panthers celebration was dou- bly euphoric following their 57-53 vic- tory, made all the sweeter by a riveting final push by Hostos. With less than a minute to go, this was anybody’s game.

“Hostos put up a really, really good fight,” Sherman said after the game. “I was scared toward the end.”

The Panthers appeared to have little to fear with a 33-15 lead going into the second half—eight of those Panther points scored consecutively by Gabrielle Alleyene in less than two minutes. (Alleyene went on for a 16-point total and Player of the Game title.)

Five minutes into the second period Hostos had shaved the lead, 35-24, and kept on coming. With 55 seconds to go, they trailed by a point, 53-52. But the remaining seconds belonged to the Panthers after Emani Odom sunk two free throws.

“Everybody came together here,” said Sherman, who will be losing five graduating players after this season. “We’re a family.”