Wednesday, December 31
Stabler Arena
2:00 pm
Lehigh University
6-6, 0-1PL
61
vs
68
Colgate
4-10, 1-0PL
1
2
F
Colgate
34
34
68
Lehigh
29
32
61
Lehigh succumbs to Colgate’s hot shooting in Patriot League opener, 68-61
12/31/2014 5:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Lehigh men's basketball team got off to a fast start, but Colgate responded to take as much as a 23-point second-half lead, which proved too much to overcome as the Mountain Hawks dropped their Patriot League opener 68-61 on Wednesday. Trailing by 23 with 5:18 on the clock, Lehigh staged a 19-1 run to pull within five (66-61) with 25 seconds still remaining, but the Mountain Hawks couldn't complete the comeback. For the game, Colgate shot 58 percent from the field (26-of-45) and 50 percent from three-point range (10-of-20).
Freshman Kahron Ross scored 15 points and added seven assists and three steals to lead the Mountain Hawks. Sophomore Tim Kempton had 14 points (12 in the second half) and eight rebounds while freshman Brandon Alston scored all 12 of his points in the second half.
Ethan Jacobs led Colgate with 24 points on a perfect 9-of-9 shooting and 4-of-4 from three-point range. He added eight rebounds.
"I'm disappointed in the breakdowns that we had for Colgate to be able to get the shots they created," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "They scored in the paint, they had some uncontested perimeter three-point shots on actions and things we knew we would see, but we just didn't finish the way we needed to. On a night when people make double-clutch threes, we get a steal and it gets deflected, they steal it back and lay it in when it looks like an easy opportunity, sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your way. However, there were enough other plays that didn't result in the ball not bouncing our way, and that's the most disappointing aspect. We didn't convert."
After Colgate scored on its first possession, Lehigh responded with a 7-0 run, beginning with a Kempton layup and following with a Ross three-pointer and another Kempton basket to make it 7-2 with 17:46 on the clock.
Jacobs hit a jumper to pull Colgate within 11-9, but Lehigh answered with another 7-0 run, which included a Corey Schaefer three-pointer, Austin Price fastbreak layup off a nice feed from Ross, and two Kempton free throws, to make it 18-9 with 12:31 remaining in the first half.
The Raiders followed with a 14-4 run as they began to get hot. A Damon Sherman-Newsome three-pointer gave Colgate its first lead since 2-0, making it 23-22 with 8:04 on the clock.
A Price trey gave Lehigh 25-23 lead then after more than two minutes without any points from either side, but the Raiders scored 11 points in the final four minutes of the half to take a 34-29 lead into the locker room.
Lehigh shot 43 percent in the first half (12-of-28) and 60 percent from long range (3-of-5). Colgate shot 58 percent (14-of-24) and 46 percent from three (5-of-11). The Raiders held a 17-9 edge on the glass.
Jacobs was the story early in the second half, knocking down two early threes then Matt McMullen added a jumper to make it 42-29. Ross answered with a driving layup, but Jacobs hit another three, this time a wild, off-balanced corner shot that went in to make it 45-31 with 16:45 on the clock.
The Colgate lead continued to increase, eventually reaching 23 (65-42) with 5:18 left in the second half. Lehigh wouldn't say die, however, and began to chip away, pulling within 17 with 2:49 remaining. The Mountain Hawks then shaved 12 points from Colgate's lead in just over two minutes as a Justin Goldsborough dunk pulled Lehigh within 66-61.
The Raiders missed the front end of a one-and-one, leading to a Price three-pointer, which was no good with six seconds on the clock. Jacobs grabbed the rebound and hit a pair of free throws for the 68-61 final.
Lehigh shot 39 percent (24-of-62) from the field and 38 percent from three-point range (6-of-16). Colgate shot 58 percent (26-of-45) and 50 percent from long distance (10-of-20). The Raiders won the battle of the boards, 34-26.
"Colgate converted and they made the plays, but we had far too many breakdowns," said Reed. "We can survive people making plays, but we can't survive breakdowns, whether it's in our defensive game plan or our offensive unity."
The Mountain Hawks will travel to Boston to face the Boston University Terriers on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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Team Stats
COLGATEM
LEHIGH
FG%
.578
.387
3FG%
.500
.375
FT%
.667
.700
RB
34
26
TO
16
7
STL
5
10
Game Leaders
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
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