Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh faces arch rival for NCAA Tournament bid
3/10/2009 4:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Mountain Hawks are one step away from going to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history, and once again the Lafayette Leopards are standing in the way. Lehigh and its arch rival will square off in Stabler Arena at 6:02 p.m. with the Patriot League Championship on the line. The last time Lehigh won a Patriot League Championship, it had to go through the Leopards at Stabler Arena with a 65-63 win in overtime in 1997. The Mountain Hawks established themselves as the class of the Patriot League during the regular season by winning a school record 12 games, and they backed that success up with a 78-54 win over Colgate on Saturday and a 61-42 win over Army in the semifinals Sunday.
The Mountain Hawks advanced to their only NCAA Tournament in school history with a heart-stopping 65-63 victory in overtime at Stabler Arena in 1997. Senior guard Kelly Madden sank a leaning jumper at the buzzer in overtime to give Lehigh its first Patriot League Championship. Madden and freshman guard Maureen Trigo each scored 14 points to lead Lehigh to victory. Jen Hendrix also chipped in with 12 points in the win. Lehigh would go on to face UConn in the first round as a 16 seed.
In their last game, the Mountain Hawks trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, but closed the deficit to three at halftime against the Army Black Knights in the semifinals. Lehigh went on a blistering 17-2 run to open the second half that essentially put the game away. Alex Ross buried a 3-pointer that sent a surge of energy through the entire arena. The Lehigh bench sprang to its feet and the crowd roared as Army was forced to call timeout, trailing 31-26 with 17:51 remaining. Lehigh never trailed again as it rolled to a new school record 25th win.
The women’s basketball edition of the Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry has been no less intense than in any other sport. The schools have met 73 times in history, with Lehigh trailing 33-40 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 21 of the 38 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 17-9 edge, including a stretch where the Mountain Hawks won 10 of 11 games (2001-05).
Wednesday’s game tips off at 6:02 p.m. at Stabler Arena. Tickets to the championship game are still available and can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME, by visiting the Lehigh Athletics Ticket Office, located in Grace Hall, or by logging onto Lehighsports.com.
Fans that cannot make it out to Stabler Arena on Wednesday can listen to the game live on ESPN Radio 1230/1320 and around the world on Lehighsports.com, with streaming provided by Yahoo! Sports. Jeff Tourial will be calling the action, with pregame coverage beginning at 5:45 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to wear brown to the game to support the top-seeded Mountain Hawks in their quest to qualify for the NCAA Tournament and win the school’s second-ever Patriot League Championship.
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Date: |
March 11, 2009 |
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Opponent: |
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Tipoff: |
6:02 p.m. |
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Arena: |
Stabler Arena (5,600) |
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Location: |
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Lehigh’s record: |
25-6 overall, 12-2 Patriot League |
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Colgate’s record: |
10-21, 2-12 Patriot League |
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Series: |
Lehigh trails 33-40 |
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Streak: |
Lehigh won last three meetings |
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Television: |
None |
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Radio: |
ESPN Radio 1230/1320 with Jeff Tourial beginning at 5:45 p.m. |
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Internet radio: Internet video: |
Live audio at Lehighsports.com None |
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Behind enemy lines: |
Watch Haly Crites preview the Championship
