Tuesday, November 6
West Long Branch, N.J.
8:30 p.m.
Lehigh University
at
Monmouth
Mountain Hawks set to open season at Monmouth Tuesday
11/5/2018 11:46:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Lehigh men's basketball team is set to open the 2018-19 season on Tuesday when it travels to Monmouth to face the Hawks. Opening tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. The Mountain Hawks enter the year with high expectations, after winning their final eight regular season games of 2017-18, losing just one player to graduation and bringing in a talented group of freshmen. Lehigh was selected No. 1 in the Patriot League preseason poll for the third time in the last four years.
The Mountain Hawks return an impressive core of players, led by senior Lance Tejada, who was named season team All-Patriot League following last season and preseason All-League heading into this year. He was one of the nation's top three-point shooters last year, finishing at 45.3 percent from long distance. Another senior, Kyle Leufroy, has averaged double-figure points each of his first three years and currently owns 990 career points. Junior Pat Andree emerged last season, averaging 12.6 points and 5.8 boards per contest while classmate Jordan Cohen finished at 9.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per contest, and should find himself in an even bigger role this year following the graduation of Kahron Ross - the Lehigh and Patriot League career record holder for assists. This Tuesday's game will be a homecoming for Andree, who is from Colts Neck, N.J. – approximately a 15-minute drive from Monmouth's campus.
Sophomore James Karnik is another returning starter after posting averages of 7.1 points and 6.5 rebounds during his rookie campaign. Other sophomores are Marques Wilson, who started the final 10 games of last season - helping Lehigh win eight of them - along with Caleb Bennett, whose season was highlighted by a career-high 23 points in February against Boston University. The Mountain Hawks also welcome freshmen Nic Lynch, Jeameril Wilson and Joe Foley.
Lehigh will be facing an always tough Monmouth team on Tuesday, in the earliest game in program history. The previous earliest was Nov. 8, 2013 at Minnesota. The Mountain Hawks are eying their second straight season-opening win, which could happen for the first time since 1993 and 1994. Last season, Lehigh topped Marist in overtime to snap an eight-game losing streak in openers, with the last seven in that streak coming against power conference schools. The Mountain Hawks historically play challenging nonleague schedules and this season is no different. After Monmouth on Tuesday, Lehigh will travel to Miami for a Friday night matchup against the Hurricanes. The Mountain Hawks will also be playing Kansas State and West Virginia, who are both top 15 in the preseason national polls.
The Mountain Hawks return to being preseason No. 1 just a year after losing more than 4,000 points and 1,600 rebounds to graduation. Lehigh reached the Patriot League Championship Game in each of the previous two years of being picked atop the poll, but fell just short. Tuesday begins the Mountain Hawks' quest for the program's fourth Patriot League Championship and first since 2012. Lehigh will be searching for its first win against Monmouth since 2009, after the Hawks won in 2010 (69-68) and last season (80-72).
Picked fifth in the preseason MAAC poll, Monmouth features a young team in 2018-19, with two redshirt juniors, two redshirt sophomores and a sophomore starting in its exhibition game this preseason. The team's No. 1 and 3 scorers from a season ago, Micah Seaborn (14.5) and Austin Tilghman (11.1) aren't returning. Deion Hammond is the leading returning scorer (12.0 points per game) while Ray Salnave averaged 9.8 points and 3.5 rebounds. Last season, the Hawks finished 11-20 and 7-11 in the MAAC. Hammond was named to the MAAC preseason third team prior to the season. Monmouth will have several reinforcements this year, including Florida Atlantic transfer Nick Rutherford.
Lehigh leads the all-time series against Monmouth, 4-3, with last season's meeting being the first since 2010. Monmouth was victorious last year, 80-72, its second straight win in the series. The last time the teams played at Monmouth was in 2010, a slim 69-68 Monmouth victory. Lehigh won the first-ever meeting in 1987 by a 72-59 final, then after 18 years of not squaring off, the sides reconvened every year from 2005-10. Monmouth earned its first-ever win over Lehigh in 2006, but the Mountain Hawks won the next three from 2007-09.
Following Tuesday's game, Lehigh stays on the road and travels to Miami out of the ACC this Friday for a 7 p.m. tipoff against the Hurricanes.
The Mountain Hawks return an impressive core of players, led by senior Lance Tejada, who was named season team All-Patriot League following last season and preseason All-League heading into this year. He was one of the nation's top three-point shooters last year, finishing at 45.3 percent from long distance. Another senior, Kyle Leufroy, has averaged double-figure points each of his first three years and currently owns 990 career points. Junior Pat Andree emerged last season, averaging 12.6 points and 5.8 boards per contest while classmate Jordan Cohen finished at 9.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per contest, and should find himself in an even bigger role this year following the graduation of Kahron Ross - the Lehigh and Patriot League career record holder for assists. This Tuesday's game will be a homecoming for Andree, who is from Colts Neck, N.J. – approximately a 15-minute drive from Monmouth's campus.
Sophomore James Karnik is another returning starter after posting averages of 7.1 points and 6.5 rebounds during his rookie campaign. Other sophomores are Marques Wilson, who started the final 10 games of last season - helping Lehigh win eight of them - along with Caleb Bennett, whose season was highlighted by a career-high 23 points in February against Boston University. The Mountain Hawks also welcome freshmen Nic Lynch, Jeameril Wilson and Joe Foley.
Lehigh will be facing an always tough Monmouth team on Tuesday, in the earliest game in program history. The previous earliest was Nov. 8, 2013 at Minnesota. The Mountain Hawks are eying their second straight season-opening win, which could happen for the first time since 1993 and 1994. Last season, Lehigh topped Marist in overtime to snap an eight-game losing streak in openers, with the last seven in that streak coming against power conference schools. The Mountain Hawks historically play challenging nonleague schedules and this season is no different. After Monmouth on Tuesday, Lehigh will travel to Miami for a Friday night matchup against the Hurricanes. The Mountain Hawks will also be playing Kansas State and West Virginia, who are both top 15 in the preseason national polls.
The Mountain Hawks return to being preseason No. 1 just a year after losing more than 4,000 points and 1,600 rebounds to graduation. Lehigh reached the Patriot League Championship Game in each of the previous two years of being picked atop the poll, but fell just short. Tuesday begins the Mountain Hawks' quest for the program's fourth Patriot League Championship and first since 2012. Lehigh will be searching for its first win against Monmouth since 2009, after the Hawks won in 2010 (69-68) and last season (80-72).
Picked fifth in the preseason MAAC poll, Monmouth features a young team in 2018-19, with two redshirt juniors, two redshirt sophomores and a sophomore starting in its exhibition game this preseason. The team's No. 1 and 3 scorers from a season ago, Micah Seaborn (14.5) and Austin Tilghman (11.1) aren't returning. Deion Hammond is the leading returning scorer (12.0 points per game) while Ray Salnave averaged 9.8 points and 3.5 rebounds. Last season, the Hawks finished 11-20 and 7-11 in the MAAC. Hammond was named to the MAAC preseason third team prior to the season. Monmouth will have several reinforcements this year, including Florida Atlantic transfer Nick Rutherford.
Lehigh leads the all-time series against Monmouth, 4-3, with last season's meeting being the first since 2010. Monmouth was victorious last year, 80-72, its second straight win in the series. The last time the teams played at Monmouth was in 2010, a slim 69-68 Monmouth victory. Lehigh won the first-ever meeting in 1987 by a 72-59 final, then after 18 years of not squaring off, the sides reconvened every year from 2005-10. Monmouth earned its first-ever win over Lehigh in 2006, but the Mountain Hawks won the next three from 2007-09.
Following Tuesday's game, Lehigh stays on the road and travels to Miami out of the ACC this Friday for a 7 p.m. tipoff against the Hurricanes.
| Date: | November 6, 2018 |
| Opponent: | Monmouth |
| Tip-off: | 8:30 PM |
| Arena/Capacity: | OceanFirst Bank Center/4,000 |
| Location: | West Long Branch, N.J. |
| Lehigh's Record: | 0-0, 0-0 Patriot League |
| Monmouth's Record: | 0-0, 0-0 MAAC |
| Series: | Lehigh leads, 4-3 |
| Radio: | Fox Sports Radio 1230/1320 AM and Lehighsports.com with Tom Fallon. Pregame coverage gets underway at 8 PM. |
| Television: | ESPN3 |
| Internet Video: | ESPN3 |
| Behind Enemy Lines: | Monmouth Official Website |
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