Lehigh heads south to take on No. 22 Vanderbilt
12/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
For the second time this month the Lehigh men’s basketball team takes on a nationally ranked opponent on the road. Lehigh opened December at top-ranked UConn and concludes the month Tuesday night at 22nd ranked Vanderbilt. Lehigh (6-4) has won five of its last six games while the Commodores are off to a 9-0 start including wins over Indiana and Michigan.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our young men to have a chance to play a second ranked opponent in a month," Lehigh head coach Billy Taylor explains. "Vanderbilt is a tough team out of a physical Southeastern Conference and we must limit our mistakes in order to have a chance. We learned how to play in a hostile environment when we went up against UConn and hopefully our guys will build on that. We gave up three significant runs in that game, and that was the difference.” Two-time Patriot League Freshman of the Week, Jose Olivero, is Lehigh’s top scorer at over 12 points per game. He also leads the team in three-point shots made withy 16 and is hitting 87 percent of his foul shots. Senior Austen Rowland is hitting for 12.2. points per contest and is tied for fourth in the Patriot League with 2.2 steals a game. Vanderbilt is led by Southeastern Conference Preseason Player of the Year, Matt Freije, who is averaging over 20 points per contest. The Commodores defeated Appalachian State in their last game on December 22, by a score of 63-48. Tuesday’s tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 from Memorial Gym. The game can be heard live on WKAP-AM (1470) in the Lehigh Valley, and around the world on the Internet at Lehighsports.com. Date: December 30, 2003 Opponent: Vanderbilt Commodores Tip-off: 8:00 Arena: Memorial Gym (14,168) Location: Nashville, Tennessee Lehigh Overall: 6-4, 0-0 Patriot League No. 22 Vanderbilt Overall: 9-0, 0-0 SEC Series: Vanderbilt leads 1-0 Radio: 1470 WKAP, beginning at 7:45 Audio: Lehigh web site live Internet Broadcast: Game Notes:
