Bethlehem, PA – Lehigh won its second straight overall and ran its record to 3-0 at Stabler Arena with a 73-69 victory over visiting Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday night.
The Mountain Hawks improve their record to 6-2 with the win – matching their best start since the 1998-99 season.
Meanwhile, the Knights fall to 1-7 on the season with the setback.
The Mountain Hawks started out slow in the opening half falling behind 7-4. Lehigh turned the ball over 14 times in the half, but shot 50 percent from the field and took a 36-34 lead into the intermission. Sara Ellis led the first half charge with 12, while Jessica DePalo added 10 points.
The Lehigh lead would grow to as much as nine in the second half, but the Knights battled back. Ellis, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Week, buried seven of eight free throws down the stretch to seal the win for the Brown and White. For the second consecutive game Ellis established a career high, this time with 26 points. The sophomore from Bellefontaine, Ohio added six rebounds and five assists. DePalo finished with 23 points on the night, marking the second straight game two Mountain Hawks scored over 20 points. Junior forward Jenny Callan chipped in with 12 points and 10 rebounds to notch her first career double-double. Fairleigh Dickinson had four players score in double figures led by Krissy Suckow’s 18.
Lehigh will return to the court on Wednesday, December 29 when the Mountain Hawks welcome Alabama, Delaware and Yale to Stabler Arena for the eighth annual Christmas City Classic. The festivities get underway when Alabama faces Delaware at 5:00. Lehigh will then host Yale at 7:30. The championship and consolation games will be played on Thursday December 30. Tickets can be purchased by calling (610) 7LU-Game or online at lehighsports.com.
