Wednesday, January 11
Lewisburg, Pa.
7 PM
Lehigh University
at
Bucknell
Mountain Hawks head to Bucknell for Wednesday night showdown
1/10/2017 10:35:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Coming off a 79-73 win over American, the Lehigh men's basketball team will look to gain momentum when it travels to Bucknell on Wednesday for a big early-season showdown against the Bison. Opening tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in Sojka Pavilion. Lehigh and Bucknell have squared off in some classic games, especially over the past few years as 10 of the last 12 meetings have been decided by seven points or fewer.
The Mountain Hawks have won four of the last six meetings in Sojka, most recently earning an 80-65 win last season as part of their eventual 11-game winning streak. Lehigh's only two losses at Bucknell over the past five seasons have been by four and six points. The Mountain Hawks have won six of 16 all-time meetings at Sojka Pavilion, owning the most wins by any Patriot League team in the building. Included in the wins was a Jan. 15, 2003 victory in Bucknell's first-ever game played in the facility. For perspective, Bucknell entered this season 90-18 against the rest of the Patriot League in Sojka.
Senior Tim Kempton carried the Mountain Hawks on Sunday, scoring a career-high 36 points to help Lehigh hold off American's second-half rally. He was recognized on Monday with his fifth Patriot League Player of the Week Award this season, finishing the week with a combined 54 points and 22 rebounds over two games. Lehigh never trailed on Sunday, earning its fourth straight wire-to-wire win over the Eagles. Kempton scored 22 of his points in the second half and with his 36 points, scored the most points by any Mountain Hawk since current Trail Blazers' standout C.J. McCollum scored 42 on Nov. 26, 2010 at Kent State. Kempton was the first Lehigh player to reach 35 since McCollum scored 35 on Nov. 19, 2012 vs. Fairfield.
Kempton added 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double and ninth of the season (in just 15 games). He is now averaging 21.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He finished 11-of-17 from the field and 14-of-18 from the free throw line, tying a Stabler Arena record for most free throws attempted. Sophomore Kyle Leufroy was strong in his return to the lineup after missing one game due to illness, tallying 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three-point range. He eclipsed 500 career points in the process (currently owning 501) while adding three assists and three steals. Senior Austin Price had 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, along with three steals while junior Kahron Ross had nine points, five assists and a career-high tying six rebounds. Ross moved within one of tying Scott Layer for third place in school history for career assists, currently at 451.
As a team, Lehigh shot 57.4 percent from the field (27-of-47), missing just 20 field goals for a second time this season. The Mountain Hawks have knocked down 55-of-96 field goals (.573) over their past two games and have shot 50 percent or higher in eight of 15 games thus far.
Lehigh vs. Bucknell has developed into a top mid-major rivalry, including in 2009-13 when each program won two Patriot League Championships and each sent a player to the NBA. The Mountain Hawks' McCollum was selected 10th overall by Portland in the 2013 NBA Draft while Bucknell's Mike Muscala was a second-round pick by Dallas before being traded to Atlanta. Both programs have continued to enjoy success ever since.
Bucknell enters Wednesday's matchup 12-5 overall, 4-0 in Patriot League play. The Bison ended nonleague play with a 72-70 loss vs. Princeton, but have responded with four straight wins. Bucknell recently earned a 68-49 win at Holy Cross on Sunday. Zach Thomas leads the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game, to go with 6.2 rebounds, while Nana Foulland is at 14.6 points and a team-high 8.3 boards per contest. Kimbal Mackenzie averages 10.5 points per game while Stephen Brown has posted 9.5 per contest, along with a team-high 82 assists through 17 games. Bucknell is 5-1 at home, with its lone loss coming to Princeton, while the Bison defeated Richmond out of the Atlantic 10 in Sojka Pavilion.
Lehigh has won six of the last 10 matchups against Bucknell to pull within 101-65 in the all-time series. Last season, the Mountain Hawks opened a 39-15 lead at Sojka Pavilion, on their way to an 80-65 win. The win marked Lehigh's fourth in the last six games at Sojka Pavilion, with the only losses coming by finals of 65-61 and 68-62. Even with Lehigh's 15-point win last season, 10 of the last 12 games have been decided by seven points or less. Bucknell is Lehigh's second-most played rival of all-time, only behind Lafayette.
Following Wednesday's game, Lehigh returns home on Saturday to host Holy Cross at 2 p.m. in a rematch of last season's Patriot League Championship Game. Tickets are available and can be purchased by clicking here.
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| Date: | January 11, 2017 |
| Opponent: | Bucknell Bison |
| Tip-off: | 7:00 PM |
| Arena/Capacity: | Sojka Pavilion/4,000 |
| Location: | Lewisburg, Pa. |
| Lehigh's Record: | 8-7, 2-2 Patriot League |
| Bucknell's Record: | 12-5, 4-0 Patriot League |
| Series: | Bucknell leads, 101-65 |
| Radio: | Live on ESPN Radio 1160/1230/1320 AM and Lehighsports.com with Tom Fallon. Pregame coverage gets underway at 6:30 PM ET |
| Television: | None |
| Internet Video: | Patriot League Network |
| Behind Enemy Lines: | Bucknell Official Website |
Players Mentioned
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