Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks look for sweep at Lafayette
2/20/2009 5:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh will be looking to complete the season sweep over its archrival Lafayette Saturday in Easton as they meet for the second time at 1 p.m. The Mountain Hawks hope to replicate the success they enjoyed at Stabler Arena on Jan. 24, when they rolled to a 73-51 rout over the Leopards in the first meeting. Lehigh is having almost unprecedented success in the 2008-09 campaign, reaching 20 wins for the first time in 19 seasons, and approaching the school record for league wins (10). The Mountain Hawks claimed sole possession of first place in the Patriot League with a 71-42 victory at Colgate on Wednesday, coupled with an American loss to Army at home on the same night.
Lehigh led throughout at Colgate on Wednesday. Alex Ross led the way with 27 points on seven 3-pointers, and the Mountain Hawks shot 56.3 percent from downtown as a team as they won their 20th game of the season. Colgate cut the Lehigh lead to 10 points, 44-34, on a 3-pointer by Gretchen Polinski with 11:27 left in the game, but 13 straight points from the Mountain Hawks, including Ross’ sixth 3-pointer of the game, extended the lead back to 57-34 with seven minutes remaining and ensured the lead would not slip away.
When the Mountain Hawks knocked off the Leopards on Jan. 24, it triggered a seven-game losing streak for Lafayette, including a loss against Colgate - the only win for the Raiders in Patriot League regular season play in two seasons - and a 58-40 loss to Bucknell on Wednesday in Lewisburg. The Leopards are 8-18 with a 2-9 mark in league play and sit in seventh place in the standings.
The women’s basketball edition of the Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry has been no less intense than in any other sport. The schools have met 72 times in history, with Lehigh trailing 32-40 overall. Since Patriot League play began in 1990-91, the tide has begun to turn back in favor of the Mountain Hawks, with Lehigh winning 20 of the 37 regular season meetings in league play. Lehigh and Lafayette have met five times in the Patriot League Tournament, and the Brown and White walked away victorious in three of those meetings, including last season’s 62-51 win in West Point, N.Y. In the last 11 seasons, Lehigh owns a 16-9 edge, including a stretch where the Mountain Hawks won 10 of 11 games (2001-05).
Lehigh has struggled going on the road to
Saturday’s game is scheduled to tipoff at 1 p.m. in the
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Date: |
February 21, 2009 |
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Opponent: |
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Tipoff: |
1 p.m. |
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Arena: |
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Location: |
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Lehigh’s record: |
20-6 overall, 9-2 Patriot League |
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8-18 overall, 2-9 Patriot League |
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Series: |
Lehigh trails, 32-40 |
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Streak: |
Lehigh won last two meetings |
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Television: |
RCN4 and WBPH-60 (Service Electric dial position 51) with Gary Laubach, John Leone and Dan Mowdy |
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Radio: |
ESPN Radio 1230/1320 with Jeff Tourial beginning at 12:45 p.m. |
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Internet broadcast: |
Live video and audio at Lehighsports.com |
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Behind enemy lines: |
