Wednesday, January 20
Stabler Arena
7:00 pm
Lehigh University
64
vs
69
Navy
Mountain Hawks fall short vs. Navy, 69-64
1/20/2016 9:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Lehigh men's basketball team used a 16-2 first-half run to take a seven-point lead, but Navy had an answer, downing the Mountain Hawks 69-64 on Wednesday evening in Stabler Arena. Junior Tim Kempton led Lehigh with 16 points (14 in the second half) and seven rebounds, but it wasn't enough as Lehigh's 11-game winning streak against Navy came to an end. With the loss, the Mountain Hawks fall to 3-4 in Patriot League play and remain in a tie for fourth place in the league standings. Navy improves to 6-1 and remains in a tie for first.
"I'm very disappointed with the outcome tonight," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "That was a game which, on our own floor, we had a solid opportunity to win. However, unforced errors, turnovers and our ability to protect the interior was ultimately the story of the game."
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Along with Kempton's 16 points, senior Jesse Chuku added 13 points while classmate Devon Carter tied a career high for a second straight game with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and 2-of-3 from three-point range. Chuku knocked down some big three-pointers, including two in the second half, to keep the Mountain Hawks within shouting distance. He finished the evening 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range.
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Junior Austin Price scored nine points while senior Justin Goldsborough was a spark off the bench, finishing with six points, six rebounds and three blocks.
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"I was really pleased with the contributions of Justin and Devon," said Reed. "They were two bright spots in the game. I thought Devon came in, made shots for us and played with energy. Justin Goldsborough was effective, scoring the ball on the interior, he rebounded the basketball and protected the rim. Both of those guys gave us a huge boost. Devon stayed patient and has put together two excellent games in a row; he's contributed and helped us in a major way. I see Justin surging at this point in the season and hopefully being able to continue as we move forward."
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Navy jumped out to an early 10-2 lead following a Shawn Anderson layup with 15:48 left in the first half. The Midshipmen eventually opened a nine-point, 16-9 lead.
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With Navy on top 18-11, the Mountain Hawks had an answer, responding with a big 16-2 run. The run began with a Kempton driving layup and was followed by a Carter three-pointer. After a Navy layup, the Mountain hawks scored the next 11 points. Carter knocked down another jumper and Goldsborough tied the score with a layup. A Kahron Ross steal and fastbreak layup gave Lehigh its first lead at 22-20 with 6:29 on the clock.
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Chuku followed with a three-pointer and another Carter jumper gave Lehigh a 27-20 advantage with 4:44 left in the first half.
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Navy answered Lehigh's run with a run of its own, scoring 11 of the final 14 first-half points to take a 31-30 lead at the half.
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The story of the first half was Lehigh's seniors. Carter and Chuku each scored seven points while Goldsborough tallied four points and a game-high six first-half rebounds.
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Navy began the second half on an 8-0 run to extend its overall run to 19-3 bridging the end of the first half. A Will Kelly layup with 16:21 remaining gave the Midshipmen a 40-31 advantage.
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The Mountain Hawks slowly inched their way back into the game. Trailing 43-36, Kempton scored five straight points behind a layup and three-point play, pulling the Mountain Hawks within 43-41 with 11:03 on the clock.
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The margin remained between two and five over the ensuing minutes until Navy's Tilman Dunbar hit a jumper to give his squad a 55-48 advantage with 7:05 remaining. The Mids' lead reached nine with 5:15 on the clock, but the Mountain Hawks wouldn't quit. Lehigh used a 7-2 run as a Chuku three-pointer, his second in 2:07, pulled the Mountain Hawks within 66-64 with 1:08 remaining.
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Navy answered with a free throw and Lehigh had a chance to tie the score with 36 seconds remaining, but the possession ended in a turnover and the Midshipmen knocked down two free throws for the 69-64 victory.
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For the game, Lehigh shot 45 percent (23-of-51) and 42 percent from three-point range (8-of-19). Navy shot 55 percent (28-of-51) and 11 percent from long distance (1-of-9). The Mids held a 28-27 edge in rebounding. Lehigh turned the ball over 18 times while Navy committed 13 turnovers.
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"We've got to have the mental maturity not to make mistakes or self-inflict wounds," said Reed. "Against Lafayette, because of the atmosphere, it's something we'll have to guard ourselves against. Hopefully our defense can hold true and be stronger than it was tonight. We'll need to avoid turnovers, unforced errors and some of the mayhem types of plays we experienced tonight."
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The Mountain Hawks return to action on Saturday when they head to archrival Lafayette to face the Leopards. Opening tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
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