Wednesday, January 29
7:00 PM
Lehigh University
11-11, 4-5PL
66
vs
63
Bucknell
9-11, 4-5PL
1
2
F
Bucknell
35
28
63
Lehigh
28
38
66
Lehigh tops Bucknell 66-63 for third straight win
1/29/2014 9:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Led by another balanced team effort, including 15 points from junior Corey Schaefer and 14 second-half points from classmate Stefan Cvrkalj, the Lehigh men's basketball team pulled out a 66-63 win over Bucknell on Wednesday evening in Stabler Arena. The win marked Lehigh's third in a row overall and fourth in its last five tries against Bucknell.
The Mountain Hawks hit just one of their first 10 field goal attempts, falling behind 13-3, but Lehigh bounced back to shoot 58 percent in the second half and 44 percent for the game.
Sophomore Jesse Chuku excelled on both ends of the court, scoring nine points while adding 10 rebounds, four blocks and a career-high four assists.
"We had a slow offensive start and had some miscues," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "Bucknell was able to build a lead, then at that point, you start to worry about the team a little bit. Credit our guys for showing great resiliency. I thought even some of the energy plays Jesse Chuku was able to bring sparked us a great deal.
"Jesse kept plays alive and played with energy," Reed continued. "His blocks were very critical as well because Bucknell was getting very comfortable going to the basket. His presence and his long arms made a huge difference. If we can get 10 rebounds from him, four of which are offensive, that not only helps us close out our defensive possessions, but it gives us extra possessions."
Schaefer shot 6-of-10 from the field and 3-of-5 from the three-point line, adding five assists and a block. The Mountain Hawks finished with a season-high nine blocks. For the second time in three games, Cvrkalj knocked down all four of his second-half three-pointers; he was also 4-for-4 from three at Navy.
Senior Mackey McKnight scored nine points while adding six rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block. Freshman Tim Kempton scored 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting while adding six rebounds in just 21 minutes due to foul trouble. Cameron Ayers led Bucknell with a game-high 23 points on 9-of-20 shooting.
After Bucknell scored the first three points, Kempton got Lehigh on the board with 17:29 remaining to pull within 3-2. The Bison responded with a 10-1 run as an Ayers three gave Bucknell a 13-3 lead with 14:18 on the clock.
The Bison advantage reached 10 on two additional occasions before Lehigh used an 8-2 run capped off by a McKnight layup to pull within 19-15 with 9:28 left in the first half.
Lehigh's run extended to 17-4 as a Schaefer trey evened the score at 21 with 6:59 remaining, and a McKnight three less than a minute later gave the Mountain Hawks their first lead, 24-21.
However, Bucknell used a 12-0 run over the next five minutes to reopen a nine-point advantage as an Ayers trey made it 33-24 with 1:14 on the clock. Lehigh answered with four straight points, but a Ryan Hill driving layup as the first half expired gave Bucknell a 35-28 advantage after 20 minutes of play.
Lehigh shot 33 percent from the field in the first half (10-of-30) and 25 percent from three-point range (2-of-8). Bucknell shot 39 percent (13-of-33) and 43 percent from long distance (3-of-7). The Bison held a 23-21 rebounding edge. Schaefer led the way with nine first-half points while McKnight had eight points, three rebounds and three assists. Chuku had six points, six rebounds and three blocks in the first stanza.
The Mountain Hawks came out of the locker room firing, beginning with a 7-0 run to tie the score at 35 on a Schaefer three with 18:02 on the clock.
An Ayers jumper gave Bucknell a 37-35 lead, but the Mountain Hawks extended their run to 18-3 to begin the second half. Another Schaefer trey made it 46-38 with 14:44 left in the second half.
The Bison responded with a 9-0 run to retake a lead (47-46) following an Ayers jumper. The teams went back and forth over the ensuing minutes, including a pair of ties, until just over six minutes remaining when Cvrkalj knocked down a three to give Lehigh a 57-55 advantage. That gave the Mountain Hawks a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Chuku and Cvrkalj followed with threes to give Lehigh an eight-point, 63-55 advantage with 3:04 on the clock. Chris Hass ended Bucknell's 3:40 scoreless drought to pull the Bison within six then hit a three to make it 63-60, but Lehigh had an answer. The Mountain Hawks struggled from the free throw line all night, finishing 9-of-22, but they hit just enough down the stretch. Leading just 65-63 with five seconds to go, Chuku had a big tip on the offensive boards following a McKnight free throw, keeping the ball alive and allowing McKnight to corral the offensive rebound. That all but ended Bucknell's chances with just one second on the clock.
Lehigh finished at 44 percent from the field (24-of-54) and 56 percent from three-point range (9-of-16). Bucknell shot 39 percent (24-of-62) and 40 percent from long distance (6-of-15). The Bison held a 40-37 rebounding edge.
Lehigh begins the second round of Patriot League play when it travels to Boston University on Saturday. Opening tip is set for 1 p.m. After a trip to Army, the Mountain Hawks return home to host Loyola on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available online, including a print-at-home option, or by calling the ticket office at 610-7LU-GAME (610-758-4263).
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Team Stats
BUCKNELL
LEHIGH
FG%
.387
.444
3FG%
.400
.563
FT%
.692
.409
RB
40
37
TO
8
7
STL
3
5
Game Leaders
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
4
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