Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks kick off second round of PL play vs. Holy Cross Sat.
2/3/2012 2:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Standing at 17-6 overall and 5-2 in Patriot League play, the Lehigh men's basketball team looks for its fourth straight win on Saturday when it welcomes Holy Cross to Stabler Arena for a 2 p.m. tipoff. The Mountain Hawks have defeated Lafayette, Navy and Army in succession to jump 11 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2009-10 season when they were 22-11.
Last time out, Lehigh jumped in front of Army, 35-12, before cruising the rest of the way in downing the Black Knights, 83-64. Junior C.J. McCollum enjoyed one of his strongest all-around games of the season (and his career) by posting 25 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and three blocks. He became the first player to hit all of those levels against a Division I opponent since Marqus Blakely did it for Vermont on December 30, 2009. McCollum also added three assists.
Lehigh controlled the boards, 47-36, and has outrebounded its opponent in seven of its last nine and 10 of its last 14 games. Four Mountain Hawks were all close to posting double-doubles, including McCollum who posted 25 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season (and second straight). Junior Gabe Knutson (10 points, nine rebounds), sophomore Mackey McKnight (nine points, career-high eight rebounds) and junior Holden Greiner (14 points, five rebounds) all came close as well.
McCollum was recognized by the Patriot League Monday with Player of the Week laurels, his fourth of the season, 10th of his career and third in the last five weeks. McCollum has been on fire offensively, quickly moving from 10th to fifth in league history in career points in the matter of three games (now at 1,800). In the process, he passed former Lehigh standouts Brett Eppehimer and Jose Olivera along with former Colgate and NBA star Adonal Foyle.
Lehigh finished the first round of league play with five victories, all by double figures. Fifteen of the team's 17 victories this season have come by double digits while all six of its losses have been single digits. The Mountain Hawks hope to extend their win streak to four on Saturday which would work their second-longest of the season, only behind the six-game streak in November.
One of the two Patriot League losses came at the hands of Holy Cross. The Crusaders jumped out to an early lead, which proved too much for Lehigh to overcome. Holy Cross has struggled since, however, entering Saturday with a 3-4 league mark and 9-12 overall.
The Mountain Hawks are looking to snap a two-game losing streak against the Crusaders and earn their third-straight home win vs. Holy Cross. Lehigh is looking for its 10th home win in its last 11 tries overall dating back to last season.
Holy Cross has had an up-and-down season, entering with a 9-12 record and 3-4 in Patriot League play. The squad has impressed at home (7-2) while struggling to a 1-10 road record. The Crusaders' lone win away from home came at Dartmouth (65-61). After defeating Lehigh and Navy to open league play, Holy Cross dropped four straight to American, Lafayette, Bucknell and Army before topping Colgate last time out. All-Patriot League honoree Devin Brown leads the team in scoring (15.5) while 1,000-point scorer R.J. Evans is averaging 11.9. Dave Dudzinski, who scored a career-high 23 points against Lehigh in January, is next up at 9.6 points per game. Justin Burrell is one of the Patriot League's top rookies, averaging 6.4 points while dishing a team-leading 81 assists at the point.
The Crusaders own a 35-15 lead in the all-time series, which includes two straight victories (both in Worcester). Lehigh won both matchups during the 2009-10 Patriot League Championship season before topping the Crusader last January in overtime. But Holy Cross has responded by beating the Mountain Hawks the last two games at the Hart Center, 89-76 and 84-78. The sides first met in 1976, an 84-60 Holy Cross victory, before reconvening in 1991 for Patriot League play.
The Mountain Hawks hit the road on Thursday when they travel to American for a key showdown against the Eagles. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. Lehigh returns home next Saturday (Feb. 11) for a 7 p.m. tip against Stabler Arena. Admission for that game will be free for all as part of Fan Appreciation Night. Fans can claim their tickets on Lehighsports.com. Tickets for all home games may be purchased on Lehighsports.com or by calling the ticket office at (610) 7LU-GAME.
Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook for exclusive content, team updates and more: http://www.facebook.com/LehighMensBasketball
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Date:
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February 4, 2012
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Opponent:
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Holy Cross Crusaders
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Tip-off:
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2:00 PM
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Arena/Capacity:
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Stabler Arena/5,600
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Location:
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Bethlehem, Pa.
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Lehigh's Record:
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17-6 overall, 5-2 Patriot League
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Holy Cross' Record:
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9-12 overall, 3-4 Patriot League
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Series:
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Holy Cross leads, 35-15
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Radio:
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Live on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM and Lehighsports.com with Matt Kerr and Greg Falkenbach '72. Pregame coverage gets underway at 1:30 PM.
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Television:
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Service Electric 2 Sports
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Internet Video:
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Behind Enemy Lines:
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MHT EP7 - Men's Basketball
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