Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh travels to NJIT for last non-league road game
1/4/2013 2:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After an impressive 66-57 victory over Mount St. Mary's on Wednesday, the Lehigh women's basketball team will take to the hardwood for its final non-league road game on Saturday when it travels to Newark, N.J. to take on NJIT at 2 p.m. The Mountain Hawks will be looking for their seventh straight victory over the Highlanders and a chance to tune-up before Patriot League play begins on January 12 with a trip to Holy Cross.
Lehigh owns a 6-0 record against NJIT in program history dating back to the 2006-07 season, including a 65-54 victory at the Prudential Center in 2008. Lehigh averages an 18.0 point win margin over NJIT and has never allowed more than 58 points in any game against the Highlanders.
Saturday's game will be Lehigh's third trip to New Jersey this season in which the Mountain Hawks own a 2-0 record. Lehigh knocked off St. Peter's on November 14 62-60 before beating Wagner 78-53 on November 23 in West Long Branch, N.J. as a part of the Thanksgiving Challenge. The Mountain Hawks will be looking to get back to .500 for the first time since that victory against Wagner on November 23.
The Mountain Hawks are coming off a 66-57 win over Mount St. Mary's on Wednesday which featured four double digit scorers including a game-high 19 from junior Hilary Weaver. Weaver shot 9-of-10 from the free throw line and 4-of-9 from the field, while freshman Kerry Kinek added 12 points and nine rebounds, narrowly missing her fourth double-double. Also aiding the offense was senior Becky Guman with 11 points, including a 9-of-11 effort from the charity stripe, and sophomore Katie O'Reilly with 10 of her own.
After taking a 26-22 lead into halftime, the Mount clawed its way back into the game, eventually taking a 51-48 lead with about eight minutes to play, but the Mountain Hawks responded and retook the lead less than a minute later. From there, Lehigh never looked back and held off several small surges by the Mount, picking up its sixth victory of the season and second on the road.
Kinek continues to lead the Mountain Hawks with 11.3 ppg and 8.9 rbg, but has received help from multiple players as of late including Guman who is averaging 12.7 ppg and 7.0 rbg over her last three contests. O'Reilly has found her touch of late, scoring in double figures in four of her last five games with an average of 11.6 points per game over those five tilts. Senior Marybeth Egan leads the team with 33 assists, but Weaver trails by just five (28) after 23 over her last seven games (3.3 apg).
NJIT (7-9, 0-0 Great West) will enter Saturday's reeling from a loss to fellow Patriot League member Colgate on Thursday, 72-36. The Highlanders trailed 41-22 at the half and could never create a comeback as the Raiders cruised to the win with a 31-point second half, holding NJIT to just 14 second half points. Senior Melanie Griffin was NJIT's leading scorer with nine points, while fellow senior Rayven Johnson pulled down a team-best 10 boards.
The Highlanders are led by Johnson who is averaging nearly a double-double with 16.4 ppg and 9.3 rbg. Sophomore Sarah Olson is second with 9.0 ppg and leads the team with 35 treys on the season, shooting the long ball at a 38.9 clip (35-of-90) which is tops in the Great West Conference.
Johnson is the third-ranked scorer in the Great West and is one of just three players averaging 10+ ppg, while Olson ranks fifth among conference opponents. Junior Uju Nwankwo leads the team and conference with 1.8 blocks per game (28 on the season), while sophomore Nicole Maticka is second on both the team and in the conference with 1.7 per game (26 on the season).
NJIT currently leads the Great West with seven wins and is tops in field goal percentage (35.3), three point field goal percentage (30.8) and scoring defense, allowing just 56.5 ppg.
The Mountain Hawks will return home on Monday, January 7 for an 11:30 a.m. tip on Education Day at Stabler Arena against Columbia in what will be the team's final non-league game. Lehigh will then break until Saturday, January 12 when it travels to Worcester, Mass. for the Patriot League opener against Holy Cross at 1 p.m.
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Date:
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January 5, 2012
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Opponent:
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NJIT
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Tip-off:
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2:00 PM
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Arena/Capacity:
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Estelle and Zoome Fleisher Athletic Center/1000
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Location:
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Newark, N.J.
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Lehigh's Record:
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6-7 overall, 0-0 Patriot League
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NJIT's Record:
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7-9 overall, 0-0 Great West
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Series:
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Lehigh leads, 6-0
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Radio:
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Live on WLVR 91.3 and Lehighsports.com with Matt Markus Pregame coverage gets underway at 1:45 PM
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Television:
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None
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Internet Video:
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Behind Enemy Lines:
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MHT EP10 - Women's Basketball
Friday, February 27
Lehigh Sports Central: Women's Basketball
Tuesday, February 17
Interview after win vs Colgate 1/10
Saturday, January 10
Interview after Bucknell win 1/3/25
Saturday, January 03
