Lehigh University Athletics
Home court on the line as Lehigh travels to Holy Cross Saturday
2/25/2011 1:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men's basketball team heads to Holy Cross on Saturday for its longest - and most important - road trip of the Patriot League season when it faces the Crusaders in the regular season finale. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. and will be televised nationally on CBS College Sports. A win ensures the Mountain Hawks (15-13, 6-7 PL) the No. 3 seed (and a home game) in the upcoming Patriot League Quarterfinals while a loss opens the door for Lafayette to snag a coveted place among the top four.
Currently in a three-way tie for third place along with Holy Cross and Lafayette, Lehigh needs to win to guarantee a home game. Should that happen, the Mountain Hawks would clinch third and host the sixth-seeded Navy Midshipmen in next Wednesday's quarterfinals. Lehigh could still be home for the first round even with a loss should Lafayette fall to American. In that case, Lehigh would drop to the No. 4 seed and host either Navy or Lafayette. A Lehigh loss coupled with a Lafayette win drops the Mountain Hawks to the fifth seed, forcing a rematch at Holy Cross in the quarterfinals.
The Crusaders also need to win to guarantee a home game in the quarterfinals. They would enter the tournament as either the No. 3 or 4 seed, depending on Lafayette's result.
Lehigh is coming off a tough 72-55 loss at Bucknell on Wednesday. After a stellar beginning, the Mountain Hawks struggled to muster much offense, netting only 29 points in the game's final 30:56 after scoring 26 in the first 9:06. Lehigh's biggest lead was eight (26-18) before the first-place Bison stormed back to snap the Mountain Hawks' three-game road winning streak while extend their winning streak to six. They have won 19 of their last 21 overall.
Sophomore C.J. McCollum led the way with 17 points, including 11 in a 2:43 span in the first half. Junior Jordan Hamilton earned his third start of the season, posting 10 points. Freshman Mackey McKnight was strong, recording 12 points and a career-high six rebounds, five coming in the first half. Lehigh was outrebounded, 36-31, marking the first time since Feb. 6 vs. American that was the case. After shooting a sizzling 52 percent from the floor in the first half, the Mountain Hawks hit for only 21 percent in the second while turning the ball over 11 times.
With 16 points at Holy Cross on Saturday, McCollum would pass former teammate Zahir Carrington on the all-time Lehigh and Patriot League scoring lists. McCollum currently owns 1,245 career points while Carrington finished a stellar four-year career with 1,260. McCollum would move into Carrington's positions of 14th and 43rd in school and league history, respectively.
Holy Cross struggled in non-league play, going 1-13, but has turned it around since Patriot League play began. The Crusaders suffered through a four-game losing streak in January, but have now won three of their last five, defeating Army (85-75), Navy (71-62) and Colgate (77-75) to jump into a three-way tie for third place. Holy Cross did play a tough non-league schedule, falling at Boston College, UMass and Wake Forest while also succumbing to quality opponents Saint Joseph's, George Washington and Hofstra.
Leading the way offensively is Devin Brown with 15.3 points per game, while Andrew Keister is right behind him at 12.4, along with a team-high 8.7 rebounds. Eric Obeysekere has also been strong in starting 20 games, posting 5.0 points and 5.8 boards per game. Andrew Beinert is the team's top assist man, averaging four helpers per contest, good for third in the league.
Lehigh and Holy Cross have met 48 times in their history with the Crusaders holding a 33-15 advantage. However, the Mountain Hawks have come back strong as of late, winning the last three meetings over the past two seasons. The teams played only one time before the formation of the Patriot League, an 84-60 Holy Cross victory during the 1975-76 season. Lehigh bounced back with two straight victories during the 1990-91 campaign, but the Crusaders responded in a big way. The Mountain Hawks dropped 11 of 13 meetings heading into last season, but they swept last season's contests - including their first win at Holy Cross since 1998 - to gain momentum in the all-time series.
The Mountain Hawks return to action next Wednesday in the Patriot League Quarterfinals. Lehigh will either host Navy or Lafayette, or travel to Holy Cross, depending on Saturday's outcomes. Check back to Lehighsports.com for a complete announcement of postseason information, once it has has been determined.
The Mountain Hawks return to action next Wednesday in the Patriot League Quarterfinals. Lehigh will either host Navy or Lafayette, or travel to Holy Cross, depending on Saturday's outcomes. Check back to Lehighsports.com for a complete announcement of postseason information, once it has has been determined.
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Date:
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February 26, 2011
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Opponent:
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Holy Cross Crusaders
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Tip-off:
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4:00 PM
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Arena/Capacity:
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Hart Center/3,600
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Location:
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Worcester, Mass.
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Lehigh's Record:
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15-13 overall, 6-7 Patriot League
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Holy Cross's Record:
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7-20 overall, 6-7 Patriot League
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Series:
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Holy Cross leads, 33-15
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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 3:30
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Television:
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CBS College Sports
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Internet Video:
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None
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Behind Enemy Lines:
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http://www.goholycross.com
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