Wednesday, February 19
7:00 PM
Lehigh University
14-14, 7-8PL
72
vs
65
Navy
9-17, 4-11PL
1
2
F
Navy
41
24
65
Lehigh
34
38
72
Mountain Hawks score final 11 points for 72-65 win over Navy
2/19/2014 10:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Down four with 2:52 remaining, the Lehigh men's basketball team scored the final 11 points to pull out a 72-65 win over Navy on Wednesday evening in Stabler Arena. Five Mountain Hawks scored double-figure points led by 15 points from both senior Mackey McKnight and junior Corey Schaefer. The win gives Lehigh nine straight wins over Navy spanning the past four seasons as the Mountain Hawks improve to 14-14 overall and 7-8 in league play heading into its rivalry game at Lafayette on Sunday.
Navy scored 41 first-half points on 65 percent shooting, but the Lehigh defense buckled down to allow just 24 second-half points.
"I'm really pleased that our team could put a greater emphasis on defense in the second half," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "We needed every stop and every opportunity to hold them to one shot as we possibly could, because in the first half, I thought Navy played a very good game. They made a variety of shots, but our communication and intensity on the defensive end was less than we ultimately needed."
McKnight and Schaefer each scored nine second-half points, including hitting clutch free throws down the stretch. Lehigh hit each of its final 11 free throws, including 6-for-6 in the final 30 seconds.
No Mountain Hawk attempted more than eight shots. Schaefer was 5-for-8 and 3-of-6 from three-point range. McKnight was 3-of-5 from long distance. Sophomore Jesse Chuku had 11 points while freshman Tim Kempton had 11 as well in only 15 points. Sophomore Justin Goldsborough posted 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting and four rebounds.
"Corey's point production in that second half to give us a lead was so important and I'm proud of him for playing with a great deal of confidence," said Reed. "He hadn't necessarily been in his groove as of late, but when you're coming to critical games towards the end of the season, it's very nice to be able to rely on a senior and junior in those backcourt positions to help you along."
Navy scored the first four points, but Lehigh responded with a Miles Simelton three-pointer and Chuku layup to give the Mountain Hawks a 5-4 lead. The teams traded leads over the ensuing minutes with neither side leading by more than one until a Schaefer three-pointer gave the Mountain Hawks a 12-10 advantage with 14:03 left in the first half.
Schaefer followed with his second three in 1:31 to give the Mountain Hawks a 17-14 lead with 12:32 on the clock.
A McKnight three gave the Mountain Hawks a 22-19 lead with 8:58 left in the first half, but Navy scored four straight as a Brandon Venturini jumper gave the Midshipmen a 23-22 lead with 8:06 to go.
A Worth Smith layup gave Navy a 27-24 lead with 5:48 left in the first half, forcing a Lehigh timeout. The Mountain Hawks responded with four in a row behind a Goldsborough offensive rebound and putback, then Simelton jumper to make it 28-27 with 4:53 on the clock.
The teams traded baskets as a Stefan Cvrkalj three made it 31-29 with 4:03 left in the first half. However, Navy answered with a 12-0 run to take a 41-31 lead with 31 seconds on the clock. McKnight answered with a big three at the first-half buzzer to pull within 41-34 after 20 minutes of play.
Lehigh scored the first five second-half points behind a Kempton layup and McKnight three to pull within 41-39 with 18:06 on the clock.
Navy didn't score its first basket until almost four minutes into the half. However, they reopened a 47-41 lead following a Will Kelly dunk with 14:30 on the clock.
Lehigh answered with four straight points and seven of the next nine as a Chuku three-pointer gave the Mountain Hawks a 50-49 lead with 11:44 remaining.
Navy answered with a basket, but Lehigh responded with six straight points capped off by a Goldsborough layup to give Lehigh a 55-51 advantage with 9:51 to go in the second half.
The Midshipmen used six straight points to open a 65-61 lead with 2:52 on the clock, but that's when the Mountain Hawk defense tightened up. Lehigh didn't allow a single point the rest of the way, as a Kempton three-point play pulled the Mountain Hawks within one and a Chuku jumper in the paint made it 66-65 Lehigh with 1:59 remaining. The defense forced a turnover then Schaefer hit two free throws to make it 68-65 and after a missed three, McKnight knocked down four the rest of the way for the 72-65 final.
"We needed to convert from the free throw line," said Reed. "Had we not, with the way Navy was shooting the basketball and the way their offense was flowing, we could have put ourselves in a very dangerous situation. Not only making the free throws, but also the balance of having five guys in double figures is something that really helps us on offense. If we're going to be a team who can compete for a championship, that defensive intensity has to be at the highest level for a full 40 minutes and not something we turn on and off again like a light switch."
Lehigh shot 49 percent from the field (26-of-53) and 38 percent from three-point range (9-of-24). Navy finished at 55 percent (28-of-51) and 25 percent from long distance (3-of-12). The Midshipmen won the battle of the boards, 32-23.
Lehigh heads to archrival Lafayette on Sunday at 12 p.m. before traveling to Bucknell next Wednesday to face the Bison. Tickets for the Lafayette road game are available through Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks return home for the regular season finale next Saturday, Mar. 1 against Colgate. 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
NAVY
LEHIGH
FG%
.549
.491
3FG%
.250
.375
FT%
.500
.846
RB
32
23
TO
12
6
STL
3
4
Game Leaders
Pts
15
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
6
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
1
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