Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks head to Colgate for Saturday afternoon tipoff
1/13/2012 1:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Following an impressive home win over American Wednesday, Lehigh looks to make it two in a row when it travels to Colgate on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tipoff. The Mountain Hawks look to avenge a pair of heartbreaking losses against the Raiders a year ago while winning for the fifth time in their last six games overall.
Junior C.J. McCollum quickly jumped into the top 10 in Patriot League career scoring in Wednesday's game vs. American. Needing two points to move into 10th and three to move into ninth, McCollum posted five points just 2:43 into the game. He finished with 26 points to up his career total to 1,679. It marked his fifth straight game leading the team in scoring.
McCollum wasn't the only Mountain Hawk to impress as seniors John Adams (season-high 11 points) and Jordan Hamilton (nine) combined for 20 points, which included three made three-pointers apiece. Sophomore Mackey McKnight had four points and a career-high tying eight assists, five coming after halftime to help spark Lehigh's second-half rally. It marked McKnight's fourth straight game with five or more assists; he has 36 over his last seven games overall (5.1/game). The Mountain Hawks held a two-point advantage at the half before outscoring the Eagles, 42-31, over the final 20 minutes to earn their 10th double-digit win of the season (71-60). That included an 11-0 run to turn a 50-46 lead with 9:58 remaining to 61-46 with less than five minutes on the clock.
After starting slowly, the Lehigh offense heated up to reach the 70-point plateau for the 18th time in as many games. That tied the school record for most consecutive 70+ point games, previously accomplished during the 2009-10 Patriot League Championship campaign. The Mountain Hawks are averaging 78.3 points per game this season, far and away leading the league while no other Patriot League squad is averaging 70 (Lafayette is next up at 69.9).
A win on Saturday would improve the Mountain Hawks' road record to 7-5, avoiding their second-straight road defeat. The only time Lehigh has lost two consecutive games this season came Nov. 9 and 12 at St. John's and Iowa State. The Mountain Hawks are looking to improve to 2-1 after three Patriot League games for the first time since their 2009-10 championship season. A win would move Lehigh to 14-5 on the season, marking the team's most games over .500 all year (9) and highest since the end of the 2009-10 campaign.
Under first-year head coach Matt Langel, Colgate enters with a 5-11 record, 0-2 in Patriot League play. The Raiders are 4-2 at home and only 1-9 on the road. Colgate has home wins against Saint Francis (Pa.), Eastern Michigan, St. Francis (N.Y.) and Dartmouth while falling to Quinnipiac and Columbia in each of its last two home contests. The Raiders are coming off a competitive 70-57 defeat at defending league champion Bucknell on Wednesday. Leading the way is Pat Moore, who averages 10.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Mitch Rolls and Mike Venezia are next up at 9.9 and 9.7 points, respectively. Center Nick Pascale leads the team in rebounding with 5.6 per contest.
Colgate leads the all-time series with Lehigh, 47-30, which includes two wins over the Mountain Hawks a season ago. That snapped a three-game Lehigh win streak, snapping a streak of nine Mountain Hawk victories in the previous 11 meetings. The sides first met way back in 1909-10, a 25-24 Colgate win. The team later played every season from 1959 to '83, then also through the later 80s before reconvening for Patriot League play.
Lehigh hits the road Saturday for a 2 p.m. tip at Colgate. The Mountain Hawks will return to Stabler Arena next Wednesday (Jan. 18) to host Bucknell at 7 p.m. in a matchup of preseason number one against two. 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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January 14, 2012
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Opponent:
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Colgate Raiders
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Tip-off:
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2:00 PM
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Arena/Capacity:
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Cotterell Court/3,000
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Location:
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Hamilton, N.Y.
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Lehigh's Record:
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13-5 overall, 1-1 Patriot League
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Colgate's Record:
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5-11 overall, 0-2 Patriot League
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Series:
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Colgate leads, 47-30
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Radio:
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Live on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM with Matt Kerr. Pregame coverage gets underway at 1:30 PM.
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Television:
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None
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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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