Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh looks to solidify postseason positioning at Bucknell
2/22/2011 8:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Coming off a thrilling last-second win over Lafayette on Sunday, the Lehigh men's basketball team heads to red-hot Bucknell Wednesday (7 p.m.) looking to clinch the coveted third seed in the Patriot League and with it, a home game in next week's league quarterfinals. The Mountain Hawks (15-12, 6-6 PL) are vying for their fourth win in their last five games overall.
Sunday's victory propelled Lehigh to sole possession of third place, a game ahead of Holy Cross, Lafayette and Navy who are all tied for fourth with 5-7 league marks. A win over Bucknell would clinch the third seed and a first round home game next Wednesday. Should they lose, the Mountain Hawks could still clinch no worse than the fourth seed if American beats Navy, Holy Cross beats Colgate and Army beats Lafayette on Wednesday.
Last time out, the Mountain Hawks staged a memorable comeback against Lafayette, outscoring the Leopards, 15-7, over the final 6:08. Sophomore Gabe Knutson was the hero, snagging an offensive rebound and converting the putback with only five seconds remaining to put Lehigh up, 67-66. Lafayette had one last chance, but Tony Johnson's three-pointer at the buzzer failed to drop. Knutson's heroics marked Lehigh's first game-winning shot with time winding down since Marquis Hall hit an off-balance jumper with one second to go for a 61-59 win over Bucknell on Jan. 28, 2009.
Lehigh is looking for its fourth straight road win and seventh in its last 10 away from home. The Mountain Hawks are also looking for their fourth win in their last five games. A win would put them four games over .500 for the first time all season while it would give them their fifth win in their last eight games against the Bison.
The seniors were the story from the get-go on Sunday as Prentice Small, David Safstrom and Rob Keefer accounted for Lehigh's first nine points of the game. Keefer tied a season-high with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in a stellar all-around performance.
Sophomore Holden Greiner also impressed with 11 points and a career-high 13 rebounds for his second-career double-double. The first was on Dec. 10 at Marist. The Mountain Hawks improved to 4-5 when trailing at the half and 10-2 when allowing 69 or fewer points. Sunday marked the first time since Jan. 4 at NJIT that sophomore C.J. McCollum failed to reach 20 points. That snapped a 12-game streak (coinciding with the beginning of league play) with 20 or more points.
Lehigh has posted a dramatic improvement in rebounding as of late, outrebounding its opponent in four straight games, seven of its last eight and eight of its last 11. Overall, the Mountain Hawks are +62 (332-270) on the glass over their last eight games.
Bucknell has been stellar after a tough 2-6 start, winning 18 of its last 20 games heading into Wednesday. The Bison are currently riding a five-game winning streak, this after a nine-game streak was snapped with a 90-70 loss at Army on Jan. 29. Bucknell did face a tough non-league schedule early on, falling at Big East powers Villanova and Marquette to begin the season. Its biggest non-league win came over Atlantic 10 power Richmond on Jan. 2.
Leading the way offensively is Patriot League preseason All-League honoree Mike Muscala, who has scored 15.3 points and grabbed 7.4 rebounds per game. Bryson Johnson (11.7 ppg) and G.W. Boon (9.3 ppg) are right behind him while Darryl Shazier has impressed at the point, posting a Patriot League leading 5.7 assists per game (160 in 28 games). Bucknell has hit an incredible 78.8 percent of its free throws as a team, good for fourth in the nation.
Bucknell leads the all-time series, 91-62-1, including a 28-15 mark since the beginning of Patriot League play. The Mountain Hawks have been strong as of late, however, winning four of the last seven meetings spanning the past four seasons. That includes three straight victories from 2008-09, then a dominating 81-59 home win last Feb. 24. That came after Lehigh fell to the Bison in an 81-76 overtime classic the last time it was at Sojka Pavilion. The sides first met during the 1901-02 season, a 38-16 Bucknell victory. Lehigh's first win came in 1908-09 (a 46-13 final). The teams have played six times in the Patriot League Tournament with Lehigh holding a 2-4 mark in those contests.
The Mountain Hawks head to Holy Cross on Saturday for their regular season finale in Worcester, Mass. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. and will be nationally televised on CBS College Sports, as announced last Thursday. Listen live on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 and on Lehighsports.com.
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Date:
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February 23, 2011
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Opponent:
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Bucknell Bison
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Tip-off:
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7:00 PM
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Arena/Capacity:
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Sojka Pavilion/4,000
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Location:
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Lewisburg, Pa.
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Lehigh's Record:
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15-12 overall, 6-6 Patriot League
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Bucknell's Record:
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20-8 overall, 11-1 Patriot League
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Series:
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Bucknell leads, 91-62-1
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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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Internet Video:
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Patriot League All-Access
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Behind Enemy Lines:
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