Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh and Xavier square off Sunday with Sweet 16 on the line
3/18/2012 4:50:00 AM | Men's Basketball
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Coming off the first-ever NCAA Tournament win in school history, the Lehigh men's basketball team shifts its attention to Xavier as the Mountain Hawks and Musketeers will square off Sunday night with a bid to the Sweet 16 on the line. Tipoff is set for 7:45 p.m. on truTV with Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg and Tracy Wolfson on the call.
For those in the Lehigh Valley, Service Electric will air truTV on channel two.
Lehigh made history Friday night, becoming only the sixth 15 seed in NCAA Tournament history to top a two seed; ironically two came in a three-hour span as Norfolk State also defeated Missouri earlier in the day. The Mountain Hawks led for much of the game, fending off every Duke run. The Blue Devils' largest advantage was five with 17:25 remaining in the second half, but Lehigh continued to have answers. Sophomore Mackey McKnight hit a huge three with 8:21 to go, which gave the Mountain Hawks a 50-49 lead, a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Lehigh made history Friday night, becoming only the sixth 15 seed in NCAA Tournament history to top a two seed; ironically two came in a three-hour span as Norfolk State also defeated Missouri earlier in the day. The Mountain Hawks led for much of the game, fending off every Duke run. The Blue Devils' largest advantage was five with 17:25 remaining in the second half, but Lehigh continued to have answers. Sophomore Mackey McKnight hit a huge three with 8:21 to go, which gave the Mountain Hawks a 50-49 lead, a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The win marked the Mountain Hawks' first NCAA Tournament victory in program history, third in Patriot League history and first since 2006. It was Lehigh's first-ever win over Duke and first over an ACC school. Junior C.J. McCollum was stellar, scoring 30 points while adding six assists. He also drew 13 of Duke's 26 personal fouls, the second most drawn in the last three Men's Basketball Championships. Lehigh will now look ahead to Xavier Sunday night, who defeated Notre Dame late Friday. The Mountain Hawks and Musketeers have played only once in the past, with Xavier winning 69-63 in December of 2004.
The Mountain Hawks are looking to advance to their first-ever Sweet 16 and become the first-ever 15 seed and Patriot League squad to advance to a Sweet 16. Lehigh would win its 10th straight game, tying for second in school history, marking the third-ever double-digit win streak in history. The other two came in 1925-26 (school-record 11 game win streak) and 10 (1912-14). A win would give the Mountain Hawks 28 for the season, which would set a Patriot League record for most overall wins in a season. Lehigh is currently tied with Holy Cross from 2005-06 with its 27th victory.
The squad has impressed on the national spotlight, winning five straight on national TV. A win on Sunday would give Lehigh six consecutive.
Xavier has had an up-and-down season, entering Sunday's showdown with a 22-12 record, winners of four of its last five. The Musketeers have shaken off effects of a December brawl against Cincinnati by going 10-6 in Atlantic 10 play and advancing to the championship game. Some big nonconference wins included Georgia, Vanderbilt and Purdue, among others. Tu Holloway leads the team in scoring with 17.3 points per game, while Mark Lyons averages 15.3 and Dezmine Wells 10.3. Kenny Frease leads the team in rebounding (6.0) while Holloway owns a team-leading 161 assists. The Muskateers have impressed in close games, owning a slim 3.4 scoring margin, but winning numerous close contests. The squad owns a stellar 45.4 field goal percentage while owning a plus-2.2 edge on the glass.
Lehigh and Xavier have met once in their history with the Musketeers winning 69-63. The Mountain Hawks gave Xavier (a defending Elite Eight Participant) a good fight, led by senior Nick Monserez, who posted a career-high 20 points.
Should the Mountain Hawks win, they'd advance to the Sweet 16 to face #3 Baylor on Friday in Atlanta.
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Date:
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March 18, 2012
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Opponent:
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Xavier Musketeers
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Tip-off:
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7:45 PM
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Arena/Capacity:
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Greensboro Coliseum/22,400
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Location:
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Greensboro, N.C.
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Lehigh's Record:
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27-7 overall, 11-3 Patriot League
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Duke's Record:
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22-12 overall, 10-6 A-10
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Series:
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Xavier leads, 1-0
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Radio:
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Live on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM with Matt Kerr and Greg Falkenbach '72. Pregame coverage gets underway at 7:15 PM.
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Television:
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truTV
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Internet Video:
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