Monday, January 2
Bethlehem, Pa.
2:00 PM
Lehigh University
5-8,0-2Patriot
60
vs
76
Colgate
8-7,2-0Patriot
1
2
F
Colgate
43
33
76
Lehigh
31
29
60
Photo by: L.J. Smith
Mountain Hawks Suffer Home Patriot League Loss to Colgate
1/2/2023 5:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men's basketball team stayed within striking distance but was never able to regain the lead in a 76-60 loss to Colgate inside Stabler Arena in Patriot League action on Monday afternoon.
The Mountain Hawks (5-8, 0-2 PL) have now dropped their last three games and have their second home loss of the season, while the Raiders opened league play with a clean slate and improved to 5-3 on the road this season.
"Colgate is a complete team," stated head coach Dr. Brett Reed. "This game was fairly competitive. There were mistakes in the first half, but we were mistakes that we had to adjust to because they were read situations and built themselves a lead."
Lehigh scored first and took its only lead of the game when sophomore Tyler Whitney-Sidney knocked down a pair of free throws to put the Mountain Hawks up 2-0. The Brown and White tied it up at 5-5 after senior Evan Taylor drained a three-pointer. Colgate slowly inched its advantage into double-digits and led Lehigh 30-18 with 6:52 to play in the first. The Mountain Hawks got it back to single digits over two minutes later, 32-24, but the Raiders would take a 43-31 lead into the locker room.
Colgate opened the half by pushing its lead to 16 points, then the Mountain Hawks eventually got to within nine at 56-47, but that's the closest they would come. The Raiders led by as many as 22 points and would hold on to the lead for their second league victory in the first meeting between the two programs this season.
Taylor led all Mountain Hawks with 19 points and six rebounds while also adding an assist. He shot 50 percent from the field (7-for-14), 4-for-5 at the foul line and 1-for-3 from beyond the three-point line. Taylor has now scored in double-figures in six-straight games and marks the 11th game reaching double-digits this season.
The sophomore duo of Whitney-Sidney and Keith Higgins Jr. both finished in double-figures, with Whitney-Sidney scoring 13 points, nine of them coming in the second half, and 12 points for Higgins Jr. Whitney-Sidney finished 5-of-8 from the field, made a trey, and was 2-for-2 at the free-throw line while Higgins Jr. shot at a clip of 40 percent (4-for-10), made two three-pointers and also 2-for-2 at the charity stripe. Higgins Jr. has now scored at least 10 points in the last five games.
Junior Dominic Parolin scored a basket shy of double-figures, contributing eight points on a perfect day (4-for-4) from the field while senior Reed Fenton, who made his first start of the season, senior Jake Betlow and first-year Henri Adiassa all contributed points.
"I was pleased with the way our guys fought for the first 12 minutes of the second half and then things kind of dried up. We had a number of good looks but we just didn't convert," concluded Reed.
The Brown and White shot 43.4 percent (23-for-53) from the floor and 30 percent (6-for-20) from long distance while the Raiders shot 50.8 percent (30-for-59) and 37.5 percent (6-for-15) from behind the three-point line.
The Mountain Hawks hit the road for a pair of Patriot League contests, first traveling to Bucknell on Thursday, Jan. 5. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Fox Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM.
Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more. Single-game tickets are on sale HERE.
The Mountain Hawks (5-8, 0-2 PL) have now dropped their last three games and have their second home loss of the season, while the Raiders opened league play with a clean slate and improved to 5-3 on the road this season.
"Colgate is a complete team," stated head coach Dr. Brett Reed. "This game was fairly competitive. There were mistakes in the first half, but we were mistakes that we had to adjust to because they were read situations and built themselves a lead."
Lehigh scored first and took its only lead of the game when sophomore Tyler Whitney-Sidney knocked down a pair of free throws to put the Mountain Hawks up 2-0. The Brown and White tied it up at 5-5 after senior Evan Taylor drained a three-pointer. Colgate slowly inched its advantage into double-digits and led Lehigh 30-18 with 6:52 to play in the first. The Mountain Hawks got it back to single digits over two minutes later, 32-24, but the Raiders would take a 43-31 lead into the locker room.
Colgate opened the half by pushing its lead to 16 points, then the Mountain Hawks eventually got to within nine at 56-47, but that's the closest they would come. The Raiders led by as many as 22 points and would hold on to the lead for their second league victory in the first meeting between the two programs this season.
Taylor led all Mountain Hawks with 19 points and six rebounds while also adding an assist. He shot 50 percent from the field (7-for-14), 4-for-5 at the foul line and 1-for-3 from beyond the three-point line. Taylor has now scored in double-figures in six-straight games and marks the 11th game reaching double-digits this season.
AND-ONE!! Another dime from Sinclair as he leads Taylor to the basket for another two points! #GoLehigh
— Lehigh M. Basketball (@LehighMBB) January 2, 2023
Watch on @PatriotLeagueTV and @ESPN https://t.co/1rkyqzEEjV pic.twitter.com/bHb8m6C4hK
The sophomore duo of Whitney-Sidney and Keith Higgins Jr. both finished in double-figures, with Whitney-Sidney scoring 13 points, nine of them coming in the second half, and 12 points for Higgins Jr. Whitney-Sidney finished 5-of-8 from the field, made a trey, and was 2-for-2 at the free-throw line while Higgins Jr. shot at a clip of 40 percent (4-for-10), made two three-pointers and also 2-for-2 at the charity stripe. Higgins Jr. has now scored at least 10 points in the last five games.
Junior Dominic Parolin scored a basket shy of double-figures, contributing eight points on a perfect day (4-for-4) from the field while senior Reed Fenton, who made his first start of the season, senior Jake Betlow and first-year Henri Adiassa all contributed points.
BEHIND THE BACK PASS FROM SINCLAIR! Sinclair finds Parolin for an easy 2️⃣! #PLTop3
— Lehigh M. Basketball (@LehighMBB) January 2, 2023
Watch @PatriotLeagueTV and @ESPNhttps://t.co/1rkyqzEEjV pic.twitter.com/hylb75mRyM
"I was pleased with the way our guys fought for the first 12 minutes of the second half and then things kind of dried up. We had a number of good looks but we just didn't convert," concluded Reed.
The Brown and White shot 43.4 percent (23-for-53) from the floor and 30 percent (6-for-20) from long distance while the Raiders shot 50.8 percent (30-for-59) and 37.5 percent (6-for-15) from behind the three-point line.
The Mountain Hawks hit the road for a pair of Patriot League contests, first traveling to Bucknell on Thursday, Jan. 5. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Fox Sports Radio 94.7 FM and 1230 AM.
Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more. Single-game tickets are on sale HERE.
Team Stats
Colg
Lehigh
FG%
.508
.434
3FG%
.375
.300
FT%
.909
.800
RB
35
27
TO
8
12
STL
3
3
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF/C
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
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