Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh wraps up 2010 in New Year’s Eve showdown at Yale
12/30/2010 8:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men's basketball team looks to continue its momentum into the final stretch of non-league play when it heads to Yale for a New Year's Eve Showdown against the Bulldogs. Tip-off on Friday is set for 2 p.m. The Mountain Hawks (7-6) hope to enter the new year with a mini two-game winning streak, while winning for the fourth time in five games.The Mountain Hawks essentially opened 2010 against Yale (Jan. 5), while they'll wrap up a tremendous calendar year with the Bulldogs as well. Yale marked Lehigh's second opponent of 2010 after the Mountain Hawks hosted NJIT on Jan. 2.
The squad is coming off a solid 77-64 victory over Saint Peter's on Wednesday. Despite leading by as much as 21, the Peacocks stormed back to pull within three at one point, but Lehigh hung strong, eventually rebuilding a double-digit advantage. The 77 points were by far the most the Peacocks have given up all year; the previous high had been 69 against Seton Hall out of the BIG EAST. It was also Lehigh's fifth double-digit win of the season.
The Mountain Hawks tied a season-high with 13 steals on Wednesday, including five from sophomore C.J. McCollum, with many leading to easy fast break layups. McCollum's five steals stood one shy of a career-high. Four Lehigh players finished in double figures in scoring - McCollum (23), senior Michael Ojo (13), sophomore Gabe Knutson (13) and freshman Mackey McKnight (11) - marking the first time since the Bryant game (11/28) that four Mountain Hawks have eclipsed double figures. Ojo tied a career-high with eight rebounds as well.
A pair of Mountain Hawks are rapidly approaching the 500-career points plateau. Knutson currently has 469 while senior Ojo has 467. Ironically, both Knutson and McCollum reached the same plateau in a recent game, both reaching 250 career rebounds against Saint Francis (12/13).
Friday marks the 15th all-time meeting between Lehigh and Yale with the teams splitting the first 14. After first playing way back during the 1903-04 season, then again twice more until 1913-14, they didn't play again until 1974-75. After playing for nine straight seasons during the 1990s, the two sides didn't meet again until last year, when the Mountain Hawks topped the Bulldogs, 75-69 on Jan. 5, 2010 inside Stabler Arena.
Despite a 5-6 record, Yale has enjoyed an impressive season to date, playing tough against some of the top conferences in the nation. Included is a 75-67 win at Boston College out of the ACC on Nov. 18 and only a three-point loss against 11-3 Providence College out of the BIG EAST. The Bulldogs have faced one Patriot League foe, topping Army, 87-79. Yale also hung tough against strong teams Quinnipiac (84-75) and Vermont (82-78), while it led at Stanford last time out, before struggling in the second half. Leading the way offensively is Austin Morgan, with 15.3 points per game. Greg Mangano averages 14 points a contest while two others - Porter Braswell and Reggie Willhite - also average double figures with 11.6 and 10.5 points, respectively. Mangano leads the team in rebounding (9.4 per game).
The Mountain Hawks continue their three-game road trip at NJIT on Jan. 4 (7 p.m.) before the Patriot League opener at American on Jan. 8. Lehigh returns home on Jan. 12 to host Navy at 7 p.m. 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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December 31, 2010
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Opponent:
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Yale Bulldogs
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Tip-off:
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2:00 PM
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Arena/Capacity:
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John J. Lee Amphitheater/3,100
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Location:
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New Haven, Conn.
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Lehigh's Record:
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7-6 overall, 0-0 Patriot League
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Yale's Record:
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5-6 overall, 2-0 MAAC
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Series:
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Series tied, 7-7
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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 1:30
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Internet Video:
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Lehighsports.com
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Behind Enemy Lines:
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