Saturday, December 6
Brooklyn, N.Y.
2:00 pm
Lehigh University
at
LIU Brooklyn
Lehigh travels to LIU Brooklyn Saturday eying fourth straight win
12/5/2014 4:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Riding three straight victories, the Lehigh men's basketball team looks to enter final exam period on a high note when the Mountain Hawks travel to LIU Brooklyn on Saturday. Opening tipoff is set for 2 p.m. The Blackbirds are struggling this season at 0-5, but have won three of their last four NEC Championships. After Lehigh began the season 0-4, the squad has responded with a vengeance, beating DePaul, Penn State Mont Alto and Saint Francis (Pa.) within an eight-day span.
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Following a big win at DePaul on Thanksgiving Eve, the Mountain Hawks used the momentum to two straight home wins on Sunday and Wednesday. Last time out, Lehigh opened an 18-point first-half lead, but Saint Francis came back to take a second-half lead. However, the Mountain Hawks responded to win a 61-59 final in a game that went down to the final seconds. Junior Justin Goldsborough led the offense with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting while he posted a game-high seven rebounds, his second straight game with seven boards.
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Sophomore Austin Price used 8-of-10 free throw shooting to score 13 points while classmate Tim Kempton scored 10 points despite foul trouble. Freshman Brandon Alston scored nine points while senior Corey Schaefer added eight. The Mountain Hawks got off to a hot start offensively, shooting 40 percent in the first half, but just 29 percent in the second. Saint Francis responded to take a mid second-half lead, but Lehigh came right back to take an advantage. A big fallaway jumper from Price in the final minute gave Lehigh a three-point lead. The final margin proved to be two points.
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For a second straight season, the Mountain Hawks have put together a winning streak after a tough start to the season. Last season, Lehigh began 2-4, but responded with a five-game winning streak in December. In that streak was a 76-69 home win over LIU Brooklyn. On Saturday, Lehigh looks to beat an NEC team for the 16th time in its last 18 tries. After the game, the Mountain Hawks will have a break from games due to final exams and return to action at Quinnipiac on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
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LIU Brooklyn leads the all-time series, 2-1, winning the first two meetings in 2003 and 2014 before the Mountain Hawks captured a 76-69 victory last season.
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LIU Brooklyn has struggled to begin the season, entering Saturday's game with an 0-5 record. The Blackbirds have hung tough against some strong competition, however, falling to St. John's in their season opener 66-53 and dropping a 74-70 overtime decision to Saint Joseph's one game later. LIU Brooklyn's home opener was Wednesday, a 76-56 loss to New Hampshire. Five Blackbirds average 7.4 points or more, led by Nura Zanna, Joel Hernandez and Elvar Fridriksson who've all scored 8.6 points per game. Zanna lead the team in rebounding (7.4) while Fridriksson owns a team-leading 21 assists through five games this season.Â
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The Mountain Hawks will break for final exams and return to game action on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at Quinnipiac before traveling to Arizona State for a game on the 20th.
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Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive content, team updates and more.
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Riding three straight victories, the Lehigh men's basketball team looks to enter final exam period on a high note when the Mountain Hawks travel to LIU Brooklyn on Saturday. Opening tipoff is set for 2 p.m. The Blackbirds are struggling this season at 0-5, but have won three of their last four NEC Championships. After Lehigh began the season 0-4, the squad has responded with a vengeance, beating DePaul, Penn State Mont Alto and Saint Francis (Pa.) within an eight-day span.
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Following a big win at DePaul on Thanksgiving Eve, the Mountain Hawks used the momentum to two straight home wins on Sunday and Wednesday. Last time out, Lehigh opened an 18-point first-half lead, but Saint Francis came back to take a second-half lead. However, the Mountain Hawks responded to win a 61-59 final in a game that went down to the final seconds. Junior Justin Goldsborough led the offense with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting while he posted a game-high seven rebounds, his second straight game with seven boards.
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Sophomore Austin Price used 8-of-10 free throw shooting to score 13 points while classmate Tim Kempton scored 10 points despite foul trouble. Freshman Brandon Alston scored nine points while senior Corey Schaefer added eight. The Mountain Hawks got off to a hot start offensively, shooting 40 percent in the first half, but just 29 percent in the second. Saint Francis responded to take a mid second-half lead, but Lehigh came right back to take an advantage. A big fallaway jumper from Price in the final minute gave Lehigh a three-point lead. The final margin proved to be two points.
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For a second straight season, the Mountain Hawks have put together a winning streak after a tough start to the season. Last season, Lehigh began 2-4, but responded with a five-game winning streak in December. In that streak was a 76-69 home win over LIU Brooklyn. On Saturday, Lehigh looks to beat an NEC team for the 16th time in its last 18 tries. After the game, the Mountain Hawks will have a break from games due to final exams and return to action at Quinnipiac on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
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LIU Brooklyn leads the all-time series, 2-1, winning the first two meetings in 2003 and 2014 before the Mountain Hawks captured a 76-69 victory last season.
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LIU Brooklyn has struggled to begin the season, entering Saturday's game with an 0-5 record. The Blackbirds have hung tough against some strong competition, however, falling to St. John's in their season opener 66-53 and dropping a 74-70 overtime decision to Saint Joseph's one game later. LIU Brooklyn's home opener was Wednesday, a 76-56 loss to New Hampshire. Five Blackbirds average 7.4 points or more, led by Nura Zanna, Joel Hernandez and Elvar Fridriksson who've all scored 8.6 points per game. Zanna lead the team in rebounding (7.4) while Fridriksson owns a team-leading 21 assists through five games this season.Â
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The Mountain Hawks will break for final exams and return to game action on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at Quinnipiac before traveling to Arizona State for a game on the 20th.
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Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive content, team updates and more.
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| Date: | December 6, 2014 |
| Opponent: | LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds |
| Tip-off: | 2:00 PM |
| Arena/Capacity: | Steinberg Wellness Center/3,000 |
| Location: | Brooklyn, N.Y. |
| Lehigh's Record: | 3-4, 0-0 Patriot League  |
| LIU Brooklyn's Record: | 0-5, 0-0 NEC |
| Series: | LIU Brooklyn leads, 2-1 |
| Radio: | Live on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM and Lehighsports.com with Tom Fallon. Pregame coverage gets underway at 1:30 PM |
| Television: | None |
| Internet Video: | NEC Front Row |
| Behind Enemy Lines: | LIU Brooklyn Official Website |
Players Mentioned
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