Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh travels to Monmouth on Friday looking for second straight win
11/18/2010 11:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Fresh off its first win of the season, the Lehigh men's basketball team returns to action on Friday when it travels to Monmouth to face the Hawks. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Lehigh (1-1) rode strong performances from sophomores C.J. McCollum and Gabe Knutson during Monday's home opener on its way to a 16-point victory over Wagner.McCollum finished the evening with his fourth-career double-double behind 20 points and 11 rebounds while Knutson finished just one rebound shy of a double-double, scoring 13 points along with nine boards. The win came over a new and improved Wagner squad, led by first-year head coach Danny Hurley and his brother Bobby. The Seahawks entered having defeated Lafayette in their season-opener.
It didn't take long for McCollum and Knutson to continue with the production they began as freshmen. Through two games, McCollum leads the team in scoring with 13.5 points per game, while Knutson leads the way in rebounds, averaging seven. They have served as good complements, with McCollum strong from the outside and Knutson as the team's primary low-post presence.
Lehigh's win on Monday continued its streak of home dominance. That extended its home winning streak to seven games, still nine shy of the longest at Stabler Arena. The Mountain Hawks are an incredible 86-28 (.754) at Stabler since the start of the 2002-03 season, including 46-12 (.793) in nonleague action.
Monmouth enters with an 0-1 record after taking part in Tuesday's College Basketball Tip-Off Marathon on ESPN. The Hawks hosted Stony Brook at 6 a.m., falling by a 51-49 final. Monmouth will be without Will Campbell, its top returning scorer, who will be serving a one-game suspension on Friday.
The Mountain Hawks are looking for their second win in as many games against an NEC foe. They have won four straight against teams from the Northeast Conference, with their last loss coming on Dec. 1, 2007 at Central Connecticut State.
A big story in the early going has been freshmen Anthony D'Orazio and Mackey McKnight, who have each played key minutes – and been successful – for the Mountain Hawks. D'Orazio is currently averaging 10.5 points in 16.0 minutes per game while McKnight has started twice, scoring 8.5 while averaging four assists in 25.5 minutes per contest.
D'Orazio was honored on Monday with the season's first Patriot League Rookie of the Week. He enjoyed a memorable collegiate debut at Penn State last Friday, scoring 17 points while connecting on 6-of-9 shots from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range. Fourteen of those points came in a four-minute stretch midway through the first half to help the Mountain Hawks open up a 10-point lead. Incredibly, D'Orazio extends Lehigh's Rookie of the Week streak to 10 straight weeks dating back to last season after McCollum won seven and Knutson garnered two to finish the 2009-10 campaign.
Monmouth had an up and down 2009-10 season, finishing with a 12-19 record. Campbell – who will sit out Friday's game - averaged 11.2 points per game last season. Also returning is sophomore Ed Waite, who averaged nine points and 5.2 rebounds as a freshman. He grabbed a game-high 13 boards in the opener against Stony Brook on Tuesday
The Mountain Hawks will return home on Monday to host defending Ivy League Champion and Sweet 16 participant Cornell at 7 p.m. They then hit the road next Friday to face defending Mid-American Regular Season Champion Kent State. Tickets for all home games are now on sale and may be purchased on Lehighsports.com or by calling the ticket office at (610) 7LU-GAME.
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Date:
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November 19, 2010
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Opponent:
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Monmouth Hawks
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Tip-off:
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7:00 PM
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Arena/Capacity:
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Multipurpose Activity Center/4,100
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Location:
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West Long Branch, N.J.
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Lehigh's Record:
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1-1 overall, 0-0 Patriot League
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Wagner's Record:
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0-1 overall, 0-0 NEC
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Series:
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Lehigh leads, 4-1
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Radio:
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Live on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 and Lehighsports.com with Matt Kerr. Pregame coverage gets underway at 6:30
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Behind Enemy Lines:
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