Saturday, January 16
Lewisburg, Pa.
2 p.m.
Lehigh University
1-4,1-4Patriot
70
at
75
Bucknell
1-4,1-4Patriot
1
2
F
Lehigh
19
51
70
Bucknell
30
45
75
Photo by: Marc Hagemeier
Lehigh Gives Itself a Chance Until the End, but Falls Short at Bucknell 75-70
1/16/2021 4:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Lehigh men's basketball team started 1-of-12 from the field and scored only 19 first-half points, but bounced back to score 51 in the second half – 24 coming from senior Marques Wilson – to give itself a chance until the final seconds. The Mountain Hawks (1-4, 1-2 Central) trimmed a 15-point deficit down to three with 13 seconds remaining, but Bucknell hit a pair of free throws to take a 75-70 lead, which proved to be the final. Wilson finished with a game-high 26 points to lead the offense while juniors Nic Lynch and Jeameril Wilson scored 14 and 11, respectively.
"In the first half, I thought we actually had a number of good and open looks that we didn't convert, but we were stingy on defense and held ourselves in it despite a poor offensive performance," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "In the second half, we warmed up and ended up scoring at an easier clip, but we weren't able to consistently get the stops that probably would have given us a major run considering the way in which we were playing and scoring the basketball."
Marques Wilson shot 10-of-19 from the floor and 5-of-7 from the free throw line. It marked his second 20-point effort of the young season after three in his first three seasons combined. Jeameril Wilson was a spark off the bench, knocking down 5-of-6 from the field and adding four rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Evan Taylor added nine points and six boards. Freshman Ben Li scored his first-career points as well, finishing with four, along with three rebounds.
Defense was the story of the first half for both sides, with the teams shooting a combined 18-of-58 from the floor. The big difference was 3-pointers as Bucknell was 7-of-14 and Lehigh was 0-of-7.
The Bison jumped out to early leads of 8-2 and 9-3 before a 6-0 Lehigh surge, capped off by a Lynch jumper, evened the score at nine midway through the first half. Not long after, Bucknell knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to take a 17-11 advantage.
The Bison went on to end the half on a 10-2 run to turn a 20-17 lead into a 30-19 halftime margin.
Both teams' offenses opened up in the second half, with the Mountain Hawks shooting 62.5 percent from the field (20-of-32) and Bucknell shooting 51.9 percent (14-of-27).
Bucknell's lead hovered between nine and 15 for the first 15+ minutes of the stanza until Lehigh made a late run. Two Xander Rice free throws gave the Bison a 61-46 edge with 8:06 on the clock, but from that point forward, the Mountain Hawks slowly chipped away.
A Jake Betlow 3-pointer pulled Lehigh within single digits (61-52) with 6:09 remaining. Less than two minutes later, a Marques Wilson trey got the Mountain Hawks within seven at 66-59. A Lynch jumper with 3:04 on the clock got Lehigh within 68-62.
The margin swelled to nine, but the Mountain Hawks had one more run in them, scoring six consecutive points in just over a minute to get within 73-70 with 13 seconds remaining. But that's as close as they would come.
"I think the [second-half effort] is a good indication that if we can put together elements of the game, we can be very competitive and we can pull off wins," said Reed. "The small lapses we've had, and just the fact that we've had a little inconsistency, are some of the major things we have to work through.
"Today, it would have been very easy for us to hit a spell where we became really disheartened and the game could have stretched," Reed continued. "However, I thought Marques Wilson showed a great deal of will to win by scoring the basketball, which gave us an offensive spark. And then, there were some times we did an excellent job of beating our man to particular spots, so we could get stops, but it was inconsistent enough that we weren't able to close the final margin."
For the game, Lehigh shot 43.8 percent from the field (28-of-64), including 25.0 percent from 3-point range (3-of-12). Bucknell finished at 45.3 percent (24-of-53) and 46.2 percent from behind the arc (12-of-26). The Mountain Hawks won the battle of the boards, 36-34.
Lehigh and Bucknell will return to action in 24 hours, this time at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem. Tipoff on Sunday is set for 4 p.m. and will air locally on Service Electric Network, along with ESPN+.
Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
"In the first half, I thought we actually had a number of good and open looks that we didn't convert, but we were stingy on defense and held ourselves in it despite a poor offensive performance," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "In the second half, we warmed up and ended up scoring at an easier clip, but we weren't able to consistently get the stops that probably would have given us a major run considering the way in which we were playing and scoring the basketball."
Highlights from today's loss at Bucknell. Excited to get back home tomorrow at 4 p.m. vs. the Bison. #GoLehigh pic.twitter.com/oegOK6Gvfd
— Lehigh M. Basketball (@LehighMBB) January 17, 2021
Marques Wilson shot 10-of-19 from the floor and 5-of-7 from the free throw line. It marked his second 20-point effort of the young season after three in his first three seasons combined. Jeameril Wilson was a spark off the bench, knocking down 5-of-6 from the field and adding four rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Evan Taylor added nine points and six boards. Freshman Ben Li scored his first-career points as well, finishing with four, along with three rebounds.
.@benli__'s first-career field goal was well-earned. Impressive offensive rebound and finish as the Mountain Hawks continue to hang around in this one.
— Lehigh M. Basketball (@LehighMBB) January 16, 2021
Watch on ESPN+ https://t.co/5xGhZB1DTo pic.twitter.com/d8UtjXz9GD
Defense was the story of the first half for both sides, with the teams shooting a combined 18-of-58 from the floor. The big difference was 3-pointers as Bucknell was 7-of-14 and Lehigh was 0-of-7.
The Bison jumped out to early leads of 8-2 and 9-3 before a 6-0 Lehigh surge, capped off by a Lynch jumper, evened the score at nine midway through the first half. Not long after, Bucknell knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to take a 17-11 advantage.
Mountain Hawks struggling offensively, but impressing defensively. This pretty @jeameril_wilson drive and finish gets his side back within four.
— Lehigh M. Basketball (@LehighMBB) January 16, 2021
Watch on ESPN+ https://t.co/5xGhZB1DTo pic.twitter.com/dCj1jVKAHo
The Bison went on to end the half on a 10-2 run to turn a 20-17 lead into a 30-19 halftime margin.
Both teams' offenses opened up in the second half, with the Mountain Hawks shooting 62.5 percent from the field (20-of-32) and Bucknell shooting 51.9 percent (14-of-27).
Bucknell's lead hovered between nine and 15 for the first 15+ minutes of the stanza until Lehigh made a late run. Two Xander Rice free throws gave the Bison a 61-46 edge with 8:06 on the clock, but from that point forward, the Mountain Hawks slowly chipped away.
A Jake Betlow 3-pointer pulled Lehigh within single digits (61-52) with 6:09 remaining. Less than two minutes later, a Marques Wilson trey got the Mountain Hawks within seven at 66-59. A Lynch jumper with 3:04 on the clock got Lehigh within 68-62.
The margin swelled to nine, but the Mountain Hawks had one more run in them, scoring six consecutive points in just over a minute to get within 73-70 with 13 seconds remaining. But that's as close as they would come.
What a second half for @_M_W_II, who has 24 THIS HALF to keep the Mountain Hawks in this one.
— Lehigh M. Basketball (@LehighMBB) January 16, 2021
Watch on ESPN+https://t.co/5xGhZB1DTo pic.twitter.com/LcT1uCcLvZ
"I think the [second-half effort] is a good indication that if we can put together elements of the game, we can be very competitive and we can pull off wins," said Reed. "The small lapses we've had, and just the fact that we've had a little inconsistency, are some of the major things we have to work through.
"Today, it would have been very easy for us to hit a spell where we became really disheartened and the game could have stretched," Reed continued. "However, I thought Marques Wilson showed a great deal of will to win by scoring the basketball, which gave us an offensive spark. And then, there were some times we did an excellent job of beating our man to particular spots, so we could get stops, but it was inconsistent enough that we weren't able to close the final margin."
For the game, Lehigh shot 43.8 percent from the field (28-of-64), including 25.0 percent from 3-point range (3-of-12). Bucknell finished at 45.3 percent (24-of-53) and 46.2 percent from behind the arc (12-of-26). The Mountain Hawks won the battle of the boards, 36-34.
Lehigh and Bucknell will return to action in 24 hours, this time at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem. Tipoff on Sunday is set for 4 p.m. and will air locally on Service Electric Network, along with ESPN+.
Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
Team Stats
Lehigh
Buck
FG%
.438
.453
3FG%
.250
.462
FT%
.733
.600
RB
36
34
TO
12
15
STL
4
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
26
FGM
10
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballSeason Preview: Men's Basketball
Thursday, October 31
Lehigh Sports Central: Men's Basketball
Wednesday, October 30
Lehigh Sports Central: Men's Basketball
Wednesday, February 07
Men's Basketball vs SUNY Oneonta
Thursday, November 16
