Francis led five Lightning players in double figures, as senior Miguel Jorge scored 16 points, while junior point guard Willy Vargas added 15 points and 7 assists. Juniors Ralph Mojica and Dewayne Thomas both chipped in with 11 points apiece.
The night was special for Lehman, as prior to the game, Lehman College paid tribute to the 2003-04 CUNY conference championship team by raising the banners in a ceremony honoring last year's squad.
"It was great to get a win on a special night like tonight," said Lehman College head coach Steve Schulman.
"Our guys played hard, and we are hoping to add many more banners to the collection".
Bryan Sherlock scored 29 points for Centenary (0-3) in the loss.
Lehman College improves to 2-1 with the win, and will now enter CUNY conference play with a Wednesday showdown at CCNY.