Sunday, November 28
Bethlehem, Pa.
7 p.m.
Lehigh University
vs
Saint Francis
Photo by: Justin Lafleur
Lehigh, Saint Francis (Pa.) Set for Sunday Night Clash
11/27/2021 12:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men's basketball team continues a busy stretch of games when the Mountain Hawks host Saint Francis (Pa.) in a rare Sunday night game. Opening tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+. Lehigh will be eying its second straight home victory after a 79-72 win over Columbia on Tuesday. The Mountain Hawks will hit the floor on Sunday 48 hours after falling at UVA.
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On Friday in Charlottesville, Lehigh enjoyed a strong first half - leading for long stretches and trailing by just four, 25-21, at the half. However, the Cavaliers opened a 10-point lead early in the second, then stretched it to 22 following a 16-2 run from between 15 and nine minutes on the clock. In that stretch, Lehigh had five turnovers, which UVA capitalized on.
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The Mountain Hawks held UVA to 33.3 percent first-half shooting while Lehigh had just six turnovers the entire first half, which proved critical to the strong start. Offensively, senior Jeameril Wilson and junior Evan Taylor each scored eight points to lead the Mountain Hawks. Ten Lehigh players scored, including the first-career 2-point field goal from sophomore Jayshen Saigal in the final minute. Junior Jake Betlow provided a late spark, setting up Saigal's points with a late steal and assist, then knocking down a long 3-pointer to round out the scoring. Friday marked the third time in the last seven seasons that Lehigh and Virginia squared off.
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Turnovers continued to be an issue for the Mountain Hawks, who had nine in the second half to finish with 15. Lehigh was only outrebounded by three (35-32) and had seven offensive boards.
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Lehigh will end nonleague play with four of its last six at home. Lehigh and Saint Francis have split each of its last six meetings, with each winning on their home court. The Mountain Hawks have won six in a row against the Red Flash at home, most recently winning 88-76 on Dec. 22, 2018. Overall, Lehigh has won nine of the last 12 vs. the Red Flash. The teams first met on Dec. 20, 1969, an 83-69 Saint Francis win. Last season, the Red Flash finished 6-16 and 5-13 in the NEC.
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Saint Francis enters Sunday with a 1-3 record, coming off a 93-80 defeat at Cornell. The Red Flash came over Franciscan University, 100-54, while they also dropped a slim 75-72 final at George Washington of the Atlantic 10, and fell at Virginia Tech, 85-55. So far, five Saint Francis players are averaging double-figure points (all between 10.0 and 12.3 points per contest). Ronnell Giles Jr. leads the way (12.3) while Ramiir Dixon-Conover isn't far behind (11.3). The Red Flash are scoring and giving up 76.8 points per game, outrebounding opponents by an average of 4.3 boards per contest. In 2019-20, the Red Flash were 22-10 and 13-5 in conference, reaching the NEC title game where it fell at top-seeded Robert Morris.
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After Sunday's contest, the Mountain Hawks hit the road for a Wednesday night showdown at Yale. Gametime is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
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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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On Friday in Charlottesville, Lehigh enjoyed a strong first half - leading for long stretches and trailing by just four, 25-21, at the half. However, the Cavaliers opened a 10-point lead early in the second, then stretched it to 22 following a 16-2 run from between 15 and nine minutes on the clock. In that stretch, Lehigh had five turnovers, which UVA capitalized on.
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The Mountain Hawks held UVA to 33.3 percent first-half shooting while Lehigh had just six turnovers the entire first half, which proved critical to the strong start. Offensively, senior Jeameril Wilson and junior Evan Taylor each scored eight points to lead the Mountain Hawks. Ten Lehigh players scored, including the first-career 2-point field goal from sophomore Jayshen Saigal in the final minute. Junior Jake Betlow provided a late spark, setting up Saigal's points with a late steal and assist, then knocking down a long 3-pointer to round out the scoring. Friday marked the third time in the last seven seasons that Lehigh and Virginia squared off.
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Turnovers continued to be an issue for the Mountain Hawks, who had nine in the second half to finish with 15. Lehigh was only outrebounded by three (35-32) and had seven offensive boards.
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Lehigh will end nonleague play with four of its last six at home. Lehigh and Saint Francis have split each of its last six meetings, with each winning on their home court. The Mountain Hawks have won six in a row against the Red Flash at home, most recently winning 88-76 on Dec. 22, 2018. Overall, Lehigh has won nine of the last 12 vs. the Red Flash. The teams first met on Dec. 20, 1969, an 83-69 Saint Francis win. Last season, the Red Flash finished 6-16 and 5-13 in the NEC.
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Saint Francis enters Sunday with a 1-3 record, coming off a 93-80 defeat at Cornell. The Red Flash came over Franciscan University, 100-54, while they also dropped a slim 75-72 final at George Washington of the Atlantic 10, and fell at Virginia Tech, 85-55. So far, five Saint Francis players are averaging double-figure points (all between 10.0 and 12.3 points per contest). Ronnell Giles Jr. leads the way (12.3) while Ramiir Dixon-Conover isn't far behind (11.3). The Red Flash are scoring and giving up 76.8 points per game, outrebounding opponents by an average of 4.3 boards per contest. In 2019-20, the Red Flash were 22-10 and 13-5 in conference, reaching the NEC title game where it fell at top-seeded Robert Morris.
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After Sunday's contest, the Mountain Hawks hit the road for a Wednesday night showdown at Yale. Gametime is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
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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: | November 28, 2021 |
| Opponent: | Saint Francis (Pa.) Red Flash |
| Tip-off: | 7 p.m. |
| Arena (Capacity): | Stabler Arena (5,600) |
| Location: | Bethlehem, Pa. |
| Lehigh's Record: | 1-5, 0-0 PL |
| Saint Francis' Record: | 1-3, 0-0 NEC |
| Series: | Lehigh leads, 11-6 |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
| Radio: | None |
Players Mentioned
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