Tuesday, January 4
Bethlehem, Pa.
7 p.m.
Lehigh University
4-10,2-0Patriot
85
vs
81
Colgate
4-10,0-1Patriot
1
2
F
Colgate
38
43
81
Lehigh
44
41
85
Photo by: Hannahally Photography
Lehigh Beats Defending Champion Colgate, 85-81, to Improve to 2-0 in League Play
1/4/2022 10:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men's basketball team jumped out to a 22-7 lead and fought off a Colgate comeback to retake the lead late in the second half, as the Mountain Hawks defeated the defending Patriot League Champion Raiders, 85-81, on Tuesday night in Stabler Arena to improve to 2-0 in Patriot League play. Senior Jeameril Wilson scored 14 of his career-high tying 20 points in the first half, while first year Keith Higgins Jr. scored 16 of his career-high 23 points in the second. Junior Reed Fenton added 12 points while senior Nic Lynch posted his fifth-career double-double, tallying 11 points and 10 assists. The win is Lehigh's third straight, giving the Mountain Hawks their first win against Colgate since 2018.
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"It was a great win, one in which I'm really proud of," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "I thought our guys pretty much played a complete game. They came out with great energy. Jeameril Wilson was terrific scoring the ball early for us, as were a number of our guys. Our defense was pretty strong, which gave us a good lead.
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"This is a game of runs. Colgate is a good team," Reed continued. "They're going to end up making some shots and coming back. They made some good plays in the second half and ended up putting the pressure on us. But one thing I'll say about this team, and it's not always reflected in the record, but our guys fight. They consistently fight."
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Colgate chipped away at its first-half deficit and eventually took a pair of five-point second-half leads – 65-60 and 67-62 – but the Mountain Hawks answered with a 10-0 run and wouldn't lead by less than two the rest of the way.
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"[Colgate] had made a bunch of plays, we had missed quite a few open shots and I was like guys, just relax," said Reed. "Be comfortable, play with confidence, believe in yourself and then we go on a run. Part of it was somebody like Keith Higgins, who just knocked down shot after shot after shot, giving us a big shot in the arm."
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With his 23 points, Higgins Jr. now has 54 points over his last three games, 27 of which have come in the second halves of the last two contests – both Patriot League victories. Fenton finished 3-of-6 from the floor and a clutch 4-of-4 from the free throw line, including two from the charity stripe with seven seconds remaining to put the Mountain Hawks ahead two possessions. Making his first-career start, first year Tyler Whitney-Sidney scored a career-high eight points while adding an assist and two steals with zero turnovers. Lehigh's first year guards of Higgins Jr. and Whitney-Sidney combined to play 65 minutes with zero turnovers. As a team, the Mountain Hawks had a season-low six on the evening.
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"The first years helped set the tone overall for a team that sometimes turns it over; having six turnovers on the night was incredible," said Reed. "And when you've got a starting backcourt of two first years who aren't overly experienced and your team only turns it over six times, that says a lot about their poise, their maturity and the way in which they've evolved and grown throughout the preseason and nonleague play to put them in this position now where they can play a really, really good floor game in addition to their defensive effort."
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The Mountain Hawks came out on fire, scoring on their first three possessions to take a 7-0 lead just over a minute in, with points from Wilson, Whitney-Sidney and Lynch. Six minutes later, the run continued as a Wilson jumper gave him 14 points and Lehigh a 22-7 lead with 12:37 left in the first half.
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Colgate outscored Lehigh, 23-15 to begin the second half as a Keegan Records hook shot gave the Raiders their first lead, 56-55, with 13:09 on the second-half clock. The teams traded the lead in the ensuing minutes before Colgate opened its largest leads of the evening – 65-60 then 67-62.
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But that's when Lehigh answered in a big way, as a 10-0 run began with a Whitney-Sidney layup and included four straight points by Wilson, followed by four in a row from Higgins Jr., to put Lehigh ahead, 72-67, with 3:26 on the clock.
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For the game, Lehigh shot 50.0 percent from the field (434-of-68), including 38.1 percent from 3-point range (8-of-21). Colgate finished at 51.6 percent (33-of-64), but just 37.5 percent from behind the arc (6-of-16). The Raiders entered the game eighth in the nation in 3-pointers made per game (11.1) and 3-point percentage (39.1).
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The Mountain Hawks will now travel to West Point on Friday to face Army in a battle of 2-0 Patriot League teams. Gametime is set for 5 p.m. on ESPN+.
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"It was a great win, one in which I'm really proud of," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "I thought our guys pretty much played a complete game. They came out with great energy. Jeameril Wilson was terrific scoring the ball early for us, as were a number of our guys. Our defense was pretty strong, which gave us a good lead.
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"This is a game of runs. Colgate is a good team," Reed continued. "They're going to end up making some shots and coming back. They made some good plays in the second half and ended up putting the pressure on us. But one thing I'll say about this team, and it's not always reflected in the record, but our guys fight. They consistently fight."
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Colgate chipped away at its first-half deficit and eventually took a pair of five-point second-half leads – 65-60 and 67-62 – but the Mountain Hawks answered with a 10-0 run and wouldn't lead by less than two the rest of the way.
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"[Colgate] had made a bunch of plays, we had missed quite a few open shots and I was like guys, just relax," said Reed. "Be comfortable, play with confidence, believe in yourself and then we go on a run. Part of it was somebody like Keith Higgins, who just knocked down shot after shot after shot, giving us a big shot in the arm."
What a Game 📹 pic.twitter.com/Nn1UI4UhcJ
— Lehigh M. Basketball (@LehighMBB) January 5, 2022
Wilson had scored all 14 of his first-half points before the game was eight minutes old, but got into first-half foul trouble. He ended up scoring his final six points in the span of 2:22 late in the second half as part of Lehigh's late charge. Wilson finished the night 9-of-9 from the floor, while adding a career-high five assists.That winning feeling 💯 pic.twitter.com/PMXlafTzLD
— Lehigh M. Basketball (@LehighMBB) January 5, 2022
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With his 23 points, Higgins Jr. now has 54 points over his last three games, 27 of which have come in the second halves of the last two contests – both Patriot League victories. Fenton finished 3-of-6 from the floor and a clutch 4-of-4 from the free throw line, including two from the charity stripe with seven seconds remaining to put the Mountain Hawks ahead two possessions. Making his first-career start, first year Tyler Whitney-Sidney scored a career-high eight points while adding an assist and two steals with zero turnovers. Lehigh's first year guards of Higgins Jr. and Whitney-Sidney combined to play 65 minutes with zero turnovers. As a team, the Mountain Hawks had a season-low six on the evening.
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"The first years helped set the tone overall for a team that sometimes turns it over; having six turnovers on the night was incredible," said Reed. "And when you've got a starting backcourt of two first years who aren't overly experienced and your team only turns it over six times, that says a lot about their poise, their maturity and the way in which they've evolved and grown throughout the preseason and nonleague play to put them in this position now where they can play a really, really good floor game in addition to their defensive effort."
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The Mountain Hawks came out on fire, scoring on their first three possessions to take a 7-0 lead just over a minute in, with points from Wilson, Whitney-Sidney and Lynch. Six minutes later, the run continued as a Wilson jumper gave him 14 points and Lehigh a 22-7 lead with 12:37 left in the first half.
Less than a minute later, Wilson fed junior Evan Taylor, who put home a dunk with authority.Nine points in less than six minutes? @jeameril_wilson is feeling it! 🔥
— Lehigh M. Basketball (@LehighMBB) January 5, 2022
Watch on ESPN+ https://t.co/MXdBj5hzFT pic.twitter.com/TPiADPki8p
With Lehigh leading 26-12, the Raiders scored seven straight to cut the margin in half. As the half progressed, Colgate pulled closer, getting within 33-30 before the Mountain Hawks scored eight of the next 10 points to take a 41-32 lead, on the way to the 44-38 halftime advantage.From the @jeameril_wilson slam to the @Evant2415 slam, wow 😱 What a start to this one
— Lehigh M. Basketball (@LehighMBB) January 5, 2022
Watch on ESPN+ https://t.co/MXdBj5h1Ql pic.twitter.com/3Of6LTTh7S
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Colgate outscored Lehigh, 23-15 to begin the second half as a Keegan Records hook shot gave the Raiders their first lead, 56-55, with 13:09 on the second-half clock. The teams traded the lead in the ensuing minutes before Colgate opened its largest leads of the evening – 65-60 then 67-62.
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But that's when Lehigh answered in a big way, as a 10-0 run began with a Whitney-Sidney layup and included four straight points by Wilson, followed by four in a row from Higgins Jr., to put Lehigh ahead, 72-67, with 3:26 on the clock.
Over the ensuing minutes, Colgate pulled within three on multiple occasions, but Lehigh always answered, and despite Tucker Richardson knocking down 3-pointers with 23 and eight seconds remaining, the Mountain Hawks were perfect from the free throw line in the final minute to wrap up the victory.Down five? The Mountain Hawks go on a 10-0 run, capped off by this @keith_higgins15 hoop. He adds another and is up to a career-high 18! Lehigh 74, Colgate 69. 2:28 remaining.
— Lehigh M. Basketball (@LehighMBB) January 5, 2022
Watch on ESPN+ https://t.co/MXdBj5h1Ql pic.twitter.com/3tSJkHiF66
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For the game, Lehigh shot 50.0 percent from the field (434-of-68), including 38.1 percent from 3-point range (8-of-21). Colgate finished at 51.6 percent (33-of-64), but just 37.5 percent from behind the arc (6-of-16). The Raiders entered the game eighth in the nation in 3-pointers made per game (11.1) and 3-point percentage (39.1).
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The Mountain Hawks will now travel to West Point on Friday to face Army in a battle of 2-0 Patriot League teams. Gametime is set for 5 p.m. on ESPN+.
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Team Stats
Colg
Lehigh
FG%
.516
.500
3FG%
.375
.381
FT%
.750
.818
RB
37
32
TO
13
6
STL
3
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
23
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
20
FGM
9
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
12
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
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