Saturday, January 23
Worcester, Mass.
2 p.m.
Lehigh University
at
Holy Cross
Mountain Hawks Head North for Pair at Holy Cross
1/21/2021 6:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men's basketball team will look to get back on track when it heads to Massachusetts to face Holy Cross for a pair of contests this weekend. Tipoff on both Saturday and Sunday is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+. The Mountain Hawks showed strong flashes for long periods of time vs. Bucknell, but a tough first half Saturday and tough second half Sunday proved too much to overcome.
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Lehigh stands 1-5 on the season, 1-3 in its mini-conference. The Mountain Hawks are a game behind Bucknell for second and two behind Lafayette for first, with four big games remaining against those rivals. This weekend's games against the Crusaders are critical, not only to try and get back on track, but also in the standings. Teams' overall Patriot League record remains important in multiple ways.
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Last Saturday, the Mountain Hawks missed their first six shots and 12 of their first 13, but hung tough defensively to stay within 30-19 at the half. Lehigh exploded for 51 second-half points, but allowed 45 and ultimately fell, 75-70. Senior Marques Wilson scored 24 of those 51 points, finishing the game with 26. He has now reached 20 points twice in six games this season (along with 28 in the season opener vs. Lafayette), this after reaching 20 three times over his first three seasons combined. Junior Nic Lynch added 14 points while classmate Jeameril Wilson enjoyed his strongest game of the season to date, netting 11 off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting. He hasn't put up the scoring numbers this season, but is knocking down the shots he's taking. Wilson is hitting 55.6 percent of his field goals (15-of-27) and he's led the Mountain Hawks in assists in three games this season.
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On Sunday, Lehigh's offense played well in the first half (holding a 37-36 halftime lead), but was outscored 41-24 in the second and the Bison pulled away to win, 77-61. Making his first start of the season, sophomore Evan Taylor was the biggest story, scoring 15 points (11 coming in the first half) on 6-of-8 shooting. Three others reached double-figure points, including a career-high 10 from freshman Dominic Parolin (eight in the second half). He also had career highs in rebounds (4) and assists (2). On the season, he has knocked down 10-of-15 field goals and 15-of-17 free throws.
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Holy Cross' season has featured a couple impressive wins, including at defending Patriot League Champion Boston University and at Army West Point. The Crusaders stand 2-4 overall. New Orleans transfer Gerrale Gates leads Holy Cross in scoring (16.0) while Austin Butler is right behind (15.0) and Matt Faw averages 14.2 points per contest. Butler leads the team in rebounding (9.5 per game) while R.J. Johnson owns a team-leading 27 assists through six games.
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Lehigh topped Holy Cross last February to snap a mini two-game losing skid against the Crusaders. Both games last season were very high scoring, with Holy Cross winning 96-95 in overtime then the Mountain Hawks winning, 89-82. The Mountain Hawks have won two of the last three at Holy Cross. Overall, Lehigh is 8-5 in its final 13 against the Crusaders. Each of the last six meetings have been decided by seven points or less (Lehigh is 4-2 in that span). Lehigh and Holy Cross first met in 1976, an 84-60 Holy Cross victory, before reconvening for Patriot League play in the early 1990s.
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Following this weekend, the Mountain Hawks will rematch with Bucknell, hosting the Bison on Saturday, Jan. 30 before traveling to Bucknell on Sunday, Jan. 31.
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Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
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Lehigh stands 1-5 on the season, 1-3 in its mini-conference. The Mountain Hawks are a game behind Bucknell for second and two behind Lafayette for first, with four big games remaining against those rivals. This weekend's games against the Crusaders are critical, not only to try and get back on track, but also in the standings. Teams' overall Patriot League record remains important in multiple ways.
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Last Saturday, the Mountain Hawks missed their first six shots and 12 of their first 13, but hung tough defensively to stay within 30-19 at the half. Lehigh exploded for 51 second-half points, but allowed 45 and ultimately fell, 75-70. Senior Marques Wilson scored 24 of those 51 points, finishing the game with 26. He has now reached 20 points twice in six games this season (along with 28 in the season opener vs. Lafayette), this after reaching 20 three times over his first three seasons combined. Junior Nic Lynch added 14 points while classmate Jeameril Wilson enjoyed his strongest game of the season to date, netting 11 off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting. He hasn't put up the scoring numbers this season, but is knocking down the shots he's taking. Wilson is hitting 55.6 percent of his field goals (15-of-27) and he's led the Mountain Hawks in assists in three games this season.
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On Sunday, Lehigh's offense played well in the first half (holding a 37-36 halftime lead), but was outscored 41-24 in the second and the Bison pulled away to win, 77-61. Making his first start of the season, sophomore Evan Taylor was the biggest story, scoring 15 points (11 coming in the first half) on 6-of-8 shooting. Three others reached double-figure points, including a career-high 10 from freshman Dominic Parolin (eight in the second half). He also had career highs in rebounds (4) and assists (2). On the season, he has knocked down 10-of-15 field goals and 15-of-17 free throws.
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Holy Cross' season has featured a couple impressive wins, including at defending Patriot League Champion Boston University and at Army West Point. The Crusaders stand 2-4 overall. New Orleans transfer Gerrale Gates leads Holy Cross in scoring (16.0) while Austin Butler is right behind (15.0) and Matt Faw averages 14.2 points per contest. Butler leads the team in rebounding (9.5 per game) while R.J. Johnson owns a team-leading 27 assists through six games.
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Lehigh topped Holy Cross last February to snap a mini two-game losing skid against the Crusaders. Both games last season were very high scoring, with Holy Cross winning 96-95 in overtime then the Mountain Hawks winning, 89-82. The Mountain Hawks have won two of the last three at Holy Cross. Overall, Lehigh is 8-5 in its final 13 against the Crusaders. Each of the last six meetings have been decided by seven points or less (Lehigh is 4-2 in that span). Lehigh and Holy Cross first met in 1976, an 84-60 Holy Cross victory, before reconvening for Patriot League play in the early 1990s.
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Following this weekend, the Mountain Hawks will rematch with Bucknell, hosting the Bison on Saturday, Jan. 30 before traveling to Bucknell on Sunday, Jan. 31.
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Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
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| Date: | January 23 & 24, 2021 |
| Opponent: | Holy Cross Crusaders |
| Tip-off: | 4 p.m. (1/23) 4 p.m. (1/24) |
| Arena: | Hart Center (1/23) Hart Center (1/24) |
| Location: | Worcester, Mass. (1/23) Worcester, Mass. (1/24) |
| Lehigh's Record: | 1-5 PL, 1-3 Central |
| Holy Cross' Record: | 2-4 PL, 2-4 North |
| Series: | Holy Cross leads, 43-25 |
| TV: | ESPN+ (Both Days) |
| Radio: | Fox Sports 1230/1320 AM/94.7 FM (Saturday) |
Players Mentioned
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